Travels of the Blue Raven [IC]

[Ursus the Grim]

Travels of the Blue Raven

The night is alive in Regalport. The evening's clouds obscure the stars and the mercurial wind carries the sounds of the docsk far from their origin. Shouts, laughter, screams even. The lights, bound in their glass cages, bounce wildly in the briny gusts.

Your destination appears, an azure silhouette emerging from the deep violet sky. The Blue Raven, the largest theurgeme outside of the Seadragons. You've come because the last crew of Dashivi Blue retired after yet another successful expedition to Riedra. She's been recruiting all day. The most recent batch of applicants shuffles past, fairly healthy-looking men and women of human, halfling and orcish stock. One is shivering and drenched from head to toe. A sturdy gangplank leads from the pier to the main deck, itself lined with torches. You know Dashivi awaits.

[Circle of Life]

Sitting near the base of the pier, Tynhon watches the other applicants moving by, noting each of them with a calm, measured look from yellow eyes that seem to glow with an inner light in the night air.

White mane shaggy and knotted in places, paws and forelegs muddied, Tynhon is not in the most presentable of states at present. Still, the remani exudes an air of patience, and possesses a bearing of practiced authority. A wide belt is secured around his middle, bearing a satchel on either side. Two gnarled twigs, still with green buds despite apparent age, are thrust through tiny loops on the outside of one of the satchels. A loose set of fine chain barding covers the seemingly bestial remani from haunches to forelegs, glimmering oddly in the night, as though reflecting moonlight despite the clouds overhead.

As space opens on the gangplank, he makes his way forward, carefully placing one paw before the other despite the width of the gangplank. It is one thing to sit upon a dock, and not so different to stand aboard a ship's deck, but it is something else entirely to stand over an expanse of seawater with only a few wooden planks beneath your paws.

Clearing the last few feet of the gangplank with a bounding leap - the water did not unnerve him; of course not, he was simply eager to be aboard - Tynhon surveys the deck of the ship, seeking out whomever appears to be in charge in the immediate vicinity.

Due to recent events, Tynhon will be keeping his Detect Silver SLA up at all times, not actively concentrating on it unless he detects a sizable silver object, and then only if it turns out to be a weapon or symbol of the Silver Flame. Coins and such are beneath his notice, unless it turns out to be a stockpile of them, like a chest of coins or similar.

Grace of the Sidhe and Eyes of the Stars are up at all times, being 24-hour duration invocations.

[Sallera]

A violet light winks out in Ashley's mind, and unseen to anyone else, his presence vanishes from the deck of the Blue Raven to reawaken at a table in a nearby tavern. After a brief scan of the room to make sure nothing has changed while his sight and hearing were elsewhere, he gives a satisfied nod and rises to leave, tossing a few coins on the table. Good. No one I know in that last batch, nor in the previous one, and the captain appears competent. This is looking promising.

As he walks through the night, hood up against the wind, few would recognize him for a former Prince of the isles. He had long ago realized the secret to remaining unnoticed was usually as simple as avoiding looking as though you were trying to remain unnoticed, and his stride is no less confident than it had been a few months ago, but all the same, he does not reveal his face until he reaches the ship. Black leather boots click smartly up the plank, and he brushes back his hood with a minor flourish. As the cloak is swept aside, revealing a burgundy shirt under an embroidered black velvet vest and trousers of a deep blue indicative of rather expensive dyes, he offers a short bow and a smile to Dashivi.

"Good even, Captain. I understand you are desirous of a new crew, and may not be averse to the presence of... unusual positions within it. Have I been informed correctly?"

[Rossebay]

A cat... A big, white lion... Just great.
Lurk made sure to pace himself a few steps behind the feline, a little unnerved. He's expected the usual ruffians he'd worked with before, and maybe an occasional scaly one, not unlike himself. But a cat?
The small lizard sighs, his skin changing to a bright hue of blue, to prevent anyone from stepping on him. This color was interrupted by a handkerchief tied around his neck. Though difficult to see in this night, it was a deep black with small, white designs on it. Slung across his chest was a belt, and attached to this belt were crossbow bolts, a couple of crescent-shaped daggers, and a few vials of poison. He carried a sack over his shoulder, metal inside clinking with every step he took.
His brow twitched in annoyance. Swear to Tiamat, if they so much as kick me, they're going to regre-
"HOLY HELL!" He exclaimed as the cat jumped, obviously a bit intimidated. "WHY is there a lion on the boat?" He pointed as he shouted this, his skin shifting to his usual bright green. He then puffed up his chest, trembling, though he tried to hide it.
He then glares, his yellow eyes narrowing. "B-better not try anything."

[Ursus the Grim]

As Tynhon leaps gracefully on the deck, a tall woman, some six feet tall, watches him with an amused smirk, reclining on a large wicker chair in front of the aftcastle. She appears to be middle aged, tan and slender. She is quietly confident, but seems somewhat weary. She is clad in leather armor, dyed the same blue as the outer hull of the ship. There are two glistening silver emblems pinned to it. One is the emblem of Kol Korran, the god of trade, commerce, and wealth. The other is a simple token in the shape of a bird’s feather. A simple, but sturdy looking mace rolls at her feet, the haft drifting lazy orbits around its head.

The deck seems spacious, despite the presence of both a fore- and aft-castle, and it takes a moment to realize why. This ship, being entirely magically driven, has no masts, allowing Dashivi unobstructed view as each come aboard, aided by simple lanterns that line the railings of the upper deck. She begins to speak to address Tynhon, but stops when she sees the other arrival, a scaly shadow behind him. She waits a moment longer, before the human arrives.

“What a motley crew we have here,” she whispers not inaudibly as she is addressed, and she fails to return the show of respect and manners.

“Yes, yes, I am looking to replace my old crew, as trustworthy and sturdy as they were, I haven’t found a suitable bunch to replace them yet, ” she begins with a dismissive, tired wave towards Ashley, seemingly failing to notice the alarmed poisondusk's exclamation. “I care not what enemies you have or why you wish to sign on, so long as you are not an enemy of the Prince, I can make use of you. I merely have one request, one that few others today have fulfilled. Convince me why I should hire you, why you deserve to be aboard the best damned ship beneath Siberys. Please, one at a time. I’ve developed a headache from the rest of the idiots of the day.”

[Rossebay]

I'll show 'em.
Lurk drops his knotted sack to the ground as he taps a vial on his belt, signifying that he'll poison any who take it. After gesturing, Lurk's chameleonic skin begins shifting with the area around him. He advances slowly,entering a group of shipmates and moving through them as he closes in on Dashivi. He creeps along the edge of the darkened ship, advancing on the reclining woman. Assuming he makes it there before she notices him, Lurk would then attempt to lift the feather token from her armor, and slip in front of her, where he would present the token to her, kneeling and returning his skin to the usual bright green.



Bonuses are factored in.
Hide: (1d20+16)[29]
Move Silently: (1d20+11)[19]
Sleight of Hand: (1d20+12)[16]+1 Action Point (1d6)[5] = [21]
...Right. The rolls mess up when you edit it.
Alright, well I copied and pasted the rolls to add the action point in, I promise I didn't mess with them. But I did reformat them so they were bolded in the right places. Also, Action Point can be seen in OOC thread. I can just repost this if you like, for new rolls.

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

"Up that way, lad. The captain's waiting on board. Oh, and might wanna think up something to impress her. You gotta prove your worth, ya know? We're not exactly giving out that ridiculous amount of money for free. You gotta earn it!" the man beams at him, showing horrid rows of teeth, making the young man think if it was the condition onboard that was the cause or personal habits. "My thanks," stooping down in a bow before making his way up the gangplank.

The young man, though seemingly unimposing with his average height and built, walks with an air of dignity that can be likened to that of a noble. Pride exudes in the way he holds himself up, but not condescending pride, and his face bears a seriousness that does not give away his thoughts. Most of his body is covered by a brown cloak that reached down to his ankles. The only objects that are visible on him are the backpack and quiver on his back and the ridiculously huge bow that hangs across his body, almost touching the wooden plank with its size.

Before he is halfway up, he is immediately alarmed by the sight on the deck. A lion?! The young warrior immediately assumes a fighting stance, both his hands darting for his sword hilts. But as he does so, he notices the lion doesn't seem to be aggressive, and the people on the deck do not seem to be too alarmed with its presence. He looks back down at the man, and seeing that he was still smiling, he eases up and stands right back up, rather embarrassed. He looks back at the lion, still perplexed at its presence. A pet perhaps? But it has no leash on. He walks up to the deck as calmly as he could, but prepared nonetheless should the beast decide to attack him.

As he reaches the deck, he notices some sort of commotion, with everyone on board seeming to pay attention at the woman sitting at the aftcastle. Must be the captain, he thinks to himself. He waits and observes before speaking up.

[Sallera]

"Mm, yes, I was watching some of that. Amusing, in a plebeian sort of way. But you did manage to impress me, so I shall endeavour to return the favour," Ashley replies, ignoring the others with a practiced ease. None of them were people he recognized, so there would be time enough to deal with them later.

He could see already that attempts to plead, cajole, or threaten would be useless on this woman. He'd watched enough of it fail, after all, although he could have judged as much from just this meeting. No, she wanted confidence and competence, and wasn't overly concerned with whatever baggage happened to come with it, which suited him well enough.

"I am only a passable sailor, but you do not need simple sailors. Nor am I a warrior, but they are as common as salt on these isles. What I am, although not all I am, is a finder. I can make deals, forge deals, provide the goods to either side or both. I can gather intelligence, bypass wards and guards. Should you run into an uncommon problem, chances are good I can find a solution. And..." Ashley raises one hand, palm in, and violet arcs briefly spark between his slim fingers. "...I can also project a fair amount of power should the need arise, although such vulgar displays are not my specialty."

"Or," he concludes with a wry smile, pulling a flask from one of his cloak's numerous inside pockets and holding it out to Dashivi, "I could simply offer you some rather fine tea."

[Ursus the Grim]

As Ashley speaks, the woman's attention drifts towards him, away from the prowling lizardfolk. She seems completely unaware of him as the psion makes his case. Though momentarily distracted by the departure of the last remnants of her old crew, she fails to notice the camouflaged pygmy moving among them. Her smirk turns into a a genuine smile, seemingly triggered by some unknowable thought.

"I don't make a habit of drinking from the flasks of strange men, my friend. But versatility and problem-solving? That is something I'll drink to. You're -"

She breaks off as Lurk reappears in front of her, presenting her with her own jewelry. Her features grow stormy for a moment, overwhelming the bored, smug visage she had been maintaining. With no small amount of irritation, she stands up, snatching back her token and picking up her mace as she does so. Before she brandishes the weapon, she seems to compose herself, and instead walks around to the rear of the chair, hastily reattaching the pin before leaning over the wicker back.

"Your point is made, both of you. But troublesome little claws would do well to remain off of my possessions."

She turns her attention to Thurann and the newly arrived human, her eyebrows arced expectantly.

[FuryOfMetal]

Having already pleaded his case to Dashivi, Neg watches the other applicants show their worth. The appearance of an albino lion-man is disconcerting but maybe he too was transformed by a similiar group to the Renewed Lifeblood. At the skulking lizard's sudden appearance infront of his propsective captain, holding an item evidently stolen from her Neg is impressed. A bold move there, Lizard, I think I could learn to like you.

Turning to the tall human and his display of magical power he says I fear you may outstrip me in usefulness then. There are a great many sailors and sell-swords to be had in any port and I'm only a few steps above that. I have lived my whole life on these waters though and I've come to embrace it as a part of myself, borrowing some of it's strength. With this last statement Neg grins to reveal his newly found teeth and tries to project enouch ice cold flame to licky around his jaws. However apparently he's still coming to terms with this new found ability and accidentally sprays a stream almost 2 feet long into the air. Not meaning to be so showy, he appologises and steps back to diffuse any hostility. Sorry, no harm done.

[Circle of Life]

Tynhon casually looks to either side while the others put on their displays, eyes still glowing with their strange inner light. When it becomes apparent that the others are waiting on him, he gives an almost imperceptible huff of annoyance. Unlikely that any here speak the tongue of his people, after all. He would have to assume a form of the two-legs... so demeaning.

Without warning he rears onto his hind legs, stretching some six feet into the air with his head thrown back, mouth agape to reveal an array of daggerlike teeth. His forepaws claw at the open air, but only for the briefest of moments before the transformation strikes. Forepaws shrink, then extend outward, gaining digits immediately recognizable as fingers and thumbs; limbs elongate, joints shifting in position by several inches. Fur melts into flesh, which turns from alabaster to a faint peachy hue, like that belonging to a man who does not often see the sun; thin hair grows along the exposed flesh, and atop the head, which flashes from feline to human in the blink of an eye.

Tynhon lowers his gaze from the sky above, settling it upon Dashivi. His new form is as pristine as his previous one was ragged, garbed in attire of deepest black from head to foot, save for the occasional button or buckle of silver. Despite his youthful appearance, his hair is stark white, short enough that it does not reach his ears. A neatly kept beard surrounds his upper lip, sweeping down onto the tip of his chin, though the rest of his face is clean shaven. A swirling black tattoo is inked dead center on his forehead, and a large black crescent is inked a scant inch from the outer edge of each eye. He smiles briefly, revealing a set of perfectly human teeth, then bows with hand over heart to Dashivi; not too deep, but enough to show clear respect.

"You must forgive me if I keep this brief, Captain. This tongue is not my own, and I find this form trying in the best of circumstances." Straightening from his bow, he points blindly toward the aftcastle, eyes still locked upon Dashivi. "Silver there; a large quantity I should think. A mace atop it - a chest, no? Ah, and you do have the loveliest taste in dining ware, Captain."

He bows again, deeper this time. "Forgive the presumption. I simply wished to show that I too am a finder of sorts, as well as a seer of not inconsiderable renown elsewhere in Khorvaire. Still, it would not be for these talents that I sign on with you, but rather as a wayfinder and a diplomat; no doubt you will have need of someone with a cool head and a fast tongue in time. I am accounted fair with what you would call arcane arts as well, though I fear my talents lie not in showy displays, but destructive outbursts. If you possess an object that you are not fond of, I would be happy to demonstrate."

Turning neatly, he addresses Lurk. "You may address me as Tynhon, my dexterous little sneakthief. If that does not suit your tastes, I have a made a name for myself amongst your people elsewhere in the world. You may call me the White Sage, if that better suits your fancy. In either case, I thank you to never refer to me as a simple beast again."

[Rossebay]

Lurk didn't much move as she snatched away the pin. It was what he had expected, after all. Stolen possessions are stolen possessions. When she reached for her mace, however, his skin reflexively began to blend in with the color of the boards lining the ship. Seeing that she was backing off, however, the usual hue returned. "You have my word. It was only a demonstration, after all."
As he turned to nod to the cloaked one in the corner, something caught his eye.
The lion.
It's standing. Why is it standing? His skin once again began to become one with the ship, until the transformation started. He was frozen in fascination for the duration of his initial speech.
So... It's a were-lion? And it can see through walls...
As Tynhon turned to address Lurk, his eyes widened a bit. As he continued to speak, his scales resumed their previous shift to the boat's coloration.
"S-sure thing, boss."
At this point, Lurk, recalling his success, shakes off his trepidation and returns to his brightly colored hue. "Excuse me...", he says, stepping through the group of sailors he had previously used as cover. He grabs his previously abandoned sack, and, hefting it over his shoulder, he returns to the captain, beaming slightly. "You can call me Lurk."

[Ursus the Grim]

For the first time today, she laughed as the gnome released an uncontrolled breath of frozen air, a gentle, chiming chuckle. There was a difference between annoying buffoons and enjoyable comedy, and the reptilian humanoid was a welcome relief from the posturing and swagger that she had been inundated with all day.

Her eyes flickered with thoughts she kept to herself as she watched the thief and the sage bicker. So far, all had proven they had some use, and all were still of interest to her, if her reactions were any indication.

"So, the lion can sniff out metals? A useful nose indeed. While we're certainly rather conspicuous, I must admit that there is a certain, enjoyable flair that subtlety cannot always accommodate. But what of our stoic, silent friend here?"

The only one yet to speak a word, the human male with twin swords and a foreign appearance, was indicated with a casual wave.

[Sallera]

Ashley reveals only the slightest hint of amusement at the lizard's antics, one corner of his mouth curling up as he steps off to the side to listen to the others. "Petty theft? How... nostalgic."

He lowers his voice as he addresses the transmuted gnome, not wanting to interrupt his captain-to-be's selections, although he continues watching both. "I would not worry over-much about that. Everyone has their uses, and if we work together, you may come to realize that I am rather good at finding them. But tell me, whence comes your distinctly draconic visage? Are you Seren-born?"

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

The young man keeps on observing, and when another human starts talking and demonstrating, he kind of gets what the commotion is about, remembering what the man who led him here said about proving one's worth. When he sees the lizardman appear beside the captain and take something from her, he immediately reacts by launching forward a few steps, but seeing how the matter resolves, he stops in his tracks.

Another misunderstanding, and he feels he embarrasses himself yet again. But it is hard to deviate from one's customs. Surely his lord taught him to drop all prejudice towards nonhumans, but he was just one man of the many people the boy interacted with. He learns to control himself when he sees another serpentine-looking creature talk and blow steam out of his mouth. My god, what is this? A circus? What more could they possibly have here?

And sure enough, as if to challenge his thoughts, he is taken by surprise once more as the lion starts standing on its two hind legs. A standing lion? What now?! Again he readies himself for an attack, but he stares in disbelief as it starts its transformation, bit by bit becoming a human. When the lion finishes, the young man can be seen with his eyes and mouth wide open, which he realizes and tries to regain his composure, as if nothing happened. My lord, what place have you cast me into? He thinks to himself, trying to pass the blame for making a fool of himself, announcing to the world that he is a country bumpkin. Though his reaction to the lion would be normal, and it is with a doubt that anybody else noticed it, he does not like it when he shows such emotions to others. Not fitting for a noble, he thought.

When the lion finishes his performance, so to speak, and the captain points towards him, he speaks. "A pleasant evening, captain. Seeing the display the others before me put out, I am afraid I have no such flashy, or fancy, or extraordinary talents. What I can offer you, however, is my unwavering loyalty, and my life. As for my skills, I am pretty capable with my swords and my bow, though I am not sure how I could demonstrate that."

[Ursus the Grim]

Dashivi's smile seems to fade as the swordsman speaks, her thoughts unreadable. She lazily leans over the chair and arcs an eyebrow.

"I am a merchant, my friend, a seeker of wealth. I have learned, in my travels, that life and loyalty are the two most valuable assets in this world. In fact, I'd say-"

She falls silent, suddenly, as the sound of many pairs of heavy footsteps come from the pier below. The first aboard is a gruff human male, holding the leash of a large dog. He wears a breastplate and a bastard sword and is dressed in a crisp black tunic. As he comes aboard, three more like him follow, humans of both sexes, but each dressed in similar garb. Not far behind them are a group of elves, at least half a dozen, unarmored but with longbows on their backs and morning stars at their side. The guests say nothing as they spread themselves out on the deck.

The sound of heavy, yet muffled thumps resound from the gangplank before you see it. A quadrupedal creature, seeming to mix a great, maned cat with a brass dragon, measuring some twelve feet long pads onto the deck, measuring each of you with large, amber eyes. Its master is aboard not long after, a short, slender half-elf with a finely-wrought chain shirt and bastard sword. His eyes, like those of his pet, scan the situation with a certain cold composure before he speaks.

"Remain where you are, and this will be resolved peacefully."

[Rossebay]

Lurk

"Oh hell.", Lurk whispers, immediately shifting the colors of his body to match the boat.
I was okay with the lion, but this?! What in the name of all that is unholy did I do to deserve this...? There is no way I'm letting that thing get close to me. No.
He sets his sack down softly, scanning the area. Using shipmates as cover, he sweeps around the side of it, and begins to climb the stairs of the forecastle. He would sneak along the rails, poising himself to launch a bolt at the beast if it seems necessary.

In lines with his plan, he draws his crossbow. He watches carefully, but also shifts his glance back and forth between the captain and these men, waiting for a signal. Finally, he pulls a vial of dragon bile out, applying it to his crossbow quickly and quietly. As soon as he finishes that, he slips the vial back into place and draws his dagger in his other hand.
I really don't feel like being arrested right now. And what's with the dragon-cat? Does it have something to do with that gnome?


Action Readied: Take a shot at the Dragon-cat if things get heated with his poisoned crossbow.

Hide: (1d20+16)[20] [roll0]
Move Silently: (1d20+11)[31] [roll1]

Current position: Forecastle of the ship, behind the rails, on the right side.

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

The young man shifts his attention towards the new arrivals. Now what? He looks at them and notices they are armed, and he is taken by the draconic feline creature of sorts. What is this the meaning of this? He looks at the captain, his face questioning, and readies himself if the situation escalates into violence. They almost always do.

[Sallera]

Ashley leans against the rail, arms crossed, watching the soldiers file onto the ship with a serene and utterly unconcerned expression. How bothersome. Can't they see we're busy? Well. It couldn't hurt to try and solve this problem before it became a problem. No one used lines like that if they weren't planning on posing one, after all.

The violet light flares to life in his mind again, and he shapes it carefully, prodding and pulling until it carries a decidedly fluffy quality. Ashley raises a hand to stifle a feigned yawn, and unseen by the rest of the world, the light briefly surrounds the apparent leader of this little expedition before fading even from Ashley's sight.

Ashley is manifesting an augmented Attraction on the half-elf, with a target of 'a nice soft bed.' He'll take 10 on Concentration to suppress the display, so there are no noticeable signs he's done anything at all, and enhance the save DC with Endowment. So, DC16 Will save from the half-elf or be compelled to seek a relaxing reprieve.

[Circle of Life]

"Oh my. Well, this is a sight, isn't it? With that many men, one might think you thought to find a captive Prince aboard this vessel. Of course, that's preposterous, but when one finds oneself in the company of boarding party of this size, one's mind does tend to wander. Do forgive me for jumping to conclusions when no goal was mentioned. Perhaps you might tell us what brings you here on this fine evening, taking your men away from their enjoyment of taverns and tavern wenches to glare at us so?" Tynhon speaks with controlled authority, tone requesting without demanding, imploring without begging, every syllable oozing calm self-assuredness. He obeys the request to remain still however, maintaining his position halfway between Dashivi and the ship's hold, hands spread to the side to show his lack of weapons.

Taking 10 on a Diplomacy check for a result of 31. I think the request would be considered neutral on the Risk vs. Reward scale, since these guys can't exactly intend to keep a forced inspection/search of this scale secret.

[FuryOfMetal]

Looking to Ashley, he mutters Another time maybe, we have more pressing matters for now. Turning to the ships new arrivals, he takes a step back to remove himself from the forefront of the confrontation and draw less attention to himself. He leaves the finer points of coercion to his new silver toungued ally.

Do i recognise them as cult members? I'd like to not endanger everybody already.

[Ursus the Grim]

"Relax, everybody. My name is Tharivol Elderberry, I'm the on-duty Sergeant of Prince Rygar's Seadragons, Port Protection division. We've just received an anonymous tip that you're carrying illegal cargo. We've never had any touble with the Raven before, but we still need to check it out. . . where did the lizardfolk go?" He glances around before shrugging and massaging his neck, suddenly weary of the long day. He beckons to one of the human females. "It doesn't really matter, I guess. I'm done for the night. Saliah, take the letter and Vurik and go check it out."

He leans over and whispers something to the beast before making his way to the gangplank. He turns one last time before disappearing.

"Please, I'm sure there is no trouble, but remain up here on the deck until everything is resolved."

The human woman gestures to Dashivi and they disappear into the forecastle, followed by the beast and the majority of the guards. You are left up top with only a few humans and the elf. They seem to relax considerably with the captain gone. The door closes behind them.

[Rossebay]

Lurk

Blast...
Lurk fidgets for a second, then crawls to towards the front of the ship. He holsters his crossbow, slips his knife back into his belt, and peers over the edge of the ship. Activating his innate magic, he clings to the outside of the ship with ease, checking the outer walls for any openings that might allow him entry.
I don't want to break anything on the ship, she'll have my head if it's a waste... Even if it isn't, she probably wouldn't be pleased.
He scans the right side of the boat for any sort of porthole or other such opening, making sure to listen for any sounds of combat, whether coming from inside or on-deck.
If there are any openings, and Lurk has the time to do so, he will enter them, unless he has to break something in order to get in.



Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]
Spot: [roll2]
Listen: [roll3]

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

Illegal cargo? This is getting weirder by the minute. The young man notices the tension ease up a bit, and he is relieved. When the female human and the captain, along with most of the boarding party disappearing into the forecastle, he decides to clarify things from the ones left out on deck.

"Illegal cargo? What exactly is this illegal cargo that you speak of, if I may ask?"

[Ursus the Grim]

The human nearest the gangplank responds to Taka lazily as he leans against the guardrail on the sides of the deck. He's a somewhat rotund man, ruddy skin and a thin mustache.

"Don't know. Only the Sergeant knew, and now Lieutenant Saliah, I suppose. That letter he gave her was the one we received in the mail, so she has all the specifics. Its not like him to just leave before a search is over, though. Wonder what's on his mind?"

Seemingly thinking to himself, her turns around and props himself up on the rail as he stares out over the docks.

[Sallera]

Well, that wasn't quite as effective as I'd hoped, but at least it worked. Now then... perhaps we can see what that letter said. Someone may have been taking their rejection a little hard, and I'm sure the captain would appreciate knowing. One also wonders why they are entering the forecastle and not the hold, if it is cargo they seek... Eyes half closed, as if beginning to doze off, Ashley focuses on the area the rest of the guards had entered as soon as the door closes, mentally seeking a good vantage point from what he knew of ships' architecture. The candle flickers to life in his mind, and suddenly he is inside the forecastle, watching and listening as the guards commence their search.

Manifesting Clairvoyant Sense to spy on them, taking 10 to suppress the display as usual.

[Circle of Life]

Tynhon walks to the side of the boat furthest from the gathered guardsmen, looping an arm about the railing and regarding the sky with a curious gaze. Something about the way the clouds were moving seemed... odd. Thinking back to his time spent with his clan's Elder, he considers the things learned about the portents of the sky. There was something to be gleaned from this strange formation of clouds, but what?

Using Oracular Markings to mimic augury, except there is no failure chance. The action in question will be allowing the guardsmen to go about their search without interference.
Sudden realization stiffens his back, but he allows a relaxed demeanor to wash over him again, even if his mind churns with unease. Casually walking to the other side of the ship, he positions himself between Taka and Ashley, then mutters something under his breath, barely more than a whisper. "Misfortune comes if we allow this search to continue. We do not know each other well, but we all have a stake in this. What will you do?"

[Sallera]

Ashley makes no reply; in fact, he gives no sign that he has heard at all. A closer look, if you were to take one, might reveal that his half-lidded eyes are unfocused and, unless he is a very good actor, unseeing. He does not sleep, however, for his seemingly relaxed posture belies an intense focus on something; he makes none of the usual adjustments of posture or fidgety movements common to the state of intense boredom he feigns.

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

Only the commanding officer knows. That can't be anything routine. But what is it? And would I be implicated in this as well? As he tries to assess the situation, he notices the lion-man, or man-lion, or whatever it is, approach his side and speak something in a low voice, almost a whisper. Apparently whatever he is saying is for him and the other human's ears only. As he hears the entirety what the lion said, he raises an eyebrow.

"Whatever do you mean?" he replies in a similarly low voice, eyeing the soldiers to see if they notice the conversation.

[Circle of Life]

Tynhon lowers his voice another decibel, barely moving his lips as he speaks. "The omen was clear, but it is a warning, not a foretelling of future events. I know only that this will not end well for us if allowed to go as planned. Make of that as you will."

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

The young man takes all of what he has observed so far with the lion's proclamation of a probably impending conflict. Surely they must be on to something. But he did not like to operate of omens and guesswork. Acting in a rash manner could quite be the catalyst for a self-fulfilling prophecy in this situation. He takes a deep breath. The situation is quite getting into his nerves, and he can feel his temper about to go off. But he reminds himself to calm down. He needs to be, especially right now.

"What do you have in mind, then?" he asks in the same low manner. "And what of that guy? Is he sleeping?" he asks about Ashley.

[Rossebay]

Lurk
After examining the perimeter of the ship the lizard scrambles over the edge. He looks disappointed, and a little concerned as he approaches the rest of the group. He crosses the deck and picks up his sack. He examines the positions of the guards as he makes his way across the deck and towards Taka, Tynhon, and Ashley. As he approaches them, he stares into the distance, avoiding eye contact.
"So, uhh... I didn't really figure anything out. But all the windows on the boat are sealed, and there aren't any cannons, I don't think. Moral of the story is, no sneaky way into the ship. Also, that beast gave me a chill."
Lurk then looks up at their faces. Upon seeing the posture of the samurai and the lion, and seeing the look on the samurai's face, Lurk looks a little confused.
"Oh, man. What'd I miss?"

[Ursus the Grim]

"Oh, man. What'd I miss?"

No sooner does Lurk inquire this as there are three sharp, shrill whistles that pierce your ears, echoing up from the dark, densely grated part of the deck that presumably goes down into the cargo hold. It's clearly not the 'all-clear' as the guards that are on deck with you suddenly straighten up and reach for their weapons.

Roll Initiative

[Ursus the Grim]

At the sound of the whistle, the first one to act is the single Elf who remained up top with the humans.

"That's the sign, friends. Get moving!"

Oddly, despite his slender physique and lack of equipment, he strides confidently forward, removing a scroll from the case at his side. He scans it quickly and extends his hand towards Lurk, reciting arcane incantations. A fiery ray arcs towards Lurk

Rossebay
Ranged touch attack roll versus your AC 14
[roll0]

If it hits, it deals
[roll1] fire damage.

[Circle of Life]

"None of that now!" Tynhon shouts, a touch of alarm tinging his words. "Firing on innocents? Bad form!"

Tynhon returns fire, pointing a finger toward the offending elf. A streak a silvery light tinged with splotches of black races toward the elf. Without looking to see if it strikes true, Tynhon races forward, his eyes flashing with golden radiance, making it difficult for nearby creatures to see properly.

Lunar Radiance, using Lunar Lancet to transform it into a ray, and Chill of the Night to add 4 cold damage. Expending a daily use of Mortalbane to add 2d6 damage to the attack. RTA on Elf: [roll0] for [roll1] untyped damage plus 4 cold damage.
After the attack, move two squares northwest and three squares north. All foes within 20 feet of Tynhon are automatically dazzled (-1 attack rolls, spot and search checks) due to his Eyes of the Stars invocation.
Noticing the hole his attack burned in the railing on the far side of the deck, Tynhon lets out a vexed tsk before regaining his composure. "Unless you wish your heads to be next, I suggest you take my singular warning shot at face value."

[Sallera]

One minute? Not giving me much time here, are they? But my original plan won't work with a signal like that... Extinguishing the mental candle, Ashley returns to his own senses just in time to see a bolt of fire burn a mark into the deck. Oh, for the love of...

"Stand down, you halfwits!" he snaps, finally straightening from his relaxed position with a swift glare around him. "Dragon Below, why Sergeant Tharivol thought this was a good operation to leave to you lot without so much as any proper oversight I hope to never understand. Keep your eyes open!"

"Sage, Blades, stay up here with the rest and keep an eye out for any actual trouble. If they persist in being idiots, you have my permission to glue their faces to the deck for a few hours." He waves a hand at the guards, then moves across the deck, beckoning the two smaller members of the crew. "Lurk, Dragon, you're with me. I need to check on those fool elves and make sure they don't get themselves killed or sink us all fiddling with the wards on the channeling column."

[Rossebay]

Lurk
Ducking a fiery bolt of death, Lurk curses in Draconic, then reaches for his crossbow.
Poison... Can't.
Ashley's words take Lurk by surprise for a second. He seems distraught momentarily, but regains his composure. He snarls and his fingers glide over to his dagger as he starts to run, charging the nearest human, who looked as though he didn't quite have his wits about him.
"No!", he responds, denying Ashley his orders. "Retribution is a lifestyle choice!"

Lurk leaps at the human, his crescent knife flashing as he swings it up towards his sternum.


Lurk is charging (+2 bonus) and the foe, having not moved, is flat-footed. Sneak attack. Crescent Dagger gives me two attacks for each normal attack roll I'd make.
Attack 1: (1d20+10)[17]
Attack 2: (1d20+10)[17]
Damage 1: [roll0] + [roll1] = [11]

Damage 2: [roll2] + [roll3] = [14]

As the knife slammed into the man's chest, he doubled over. His mistake. As Lurk flicked his wrist up, the second end of the blade hit another critical point. The man found himself half-blind as the reptile leapt off of his chest, landing on the ground with a thud.
Lurk then glared at the elf, running his thin tongue over his fangs.

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

Reacting as soon as the ray attack missed the lizardfolk, the young man has his blades drawn out in a blink, ready to attack. He holds himself back as the other human tries to defuse the situation, but is confused when the lizardfolk who calls himself Lurk decides to retaliate for the attack by sticking his blades up into the nearest human companion of the elf.

Acting on instinct, he rushes up beside the elf who started the attack, pointing his sword at her. "Stand down, or the elf gets it!"

Readied action attack on the elf if anyone from their side does anything that the samurai can see.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Ursus the Grim]

Faerneg dashes forward and sprays forth his breath weapon at the dog and its master. The dog nimbly avoids the worst of it, and his master seems to still be standing.

There is a moment of hesitation as Taka announces his ultimatum. But as he notices the elf reaching inside his robe,the dog dashes forward at a word from the human. Taka's blade comes down, and the elf crumples after a slashes to his chest. The humans aren't far behind, and both of the warriors enter the fray.

FuryOfMetal
One human charges at Faerneg, sword raised high.
[roll0] versus AC 19
[roll1]

GuyFawkes
The dog and the other human rush at Taka.
Dog
[roll2]
[roll3]
If he hits, he makes an opposed trip attempt (you can roll that OOC)
[roll4]

The human swings his bastards sword at you as well, hatred in his eyes. Note the penalties that apply in the unlikely event that you were sucessfully tripped.
[roll5]
[roll6]

[Sallera]

"What I'd give to work with people with a sense of self-preservation once in a while..." With a sigh, Ashley slips a slender crystal wand from his cloak, casually flicking a jolt of electricity through the man attacking Faerneg as he heads for the door. "But do as you will, if this petty feud is all you care for. You can take it up with the Sergeant later; I don't have time for you right now."

Energy Ray from the dorje at Faerneg's assailant.
Ranged touch attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Circle of Life]

"This... this is foolishness. Why would you throw your lives away in such an obviously suicidal showing?" Tynhon shakes his head sadly at the futility of it all. "Stop now and you may still live; think of your families, of your friends and lovers... is this worth throwing that all away? Do you truly have so little to live for? Stand down and we may yet find a way to resolve this that does not end with your lifeblood spilling out on these decks. Do not force me to do something I would regret for many years to come."

Tynhon raises a hand, pointing a finger toward the humans; the tip begins to glow with barely restrained energies, shining with silver radiance. "I do not wish to, but I will slay you if you attack us again."

Ready action to Lunar Radiance either of the humans that take a hostile action.

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

The warrior quickly reacts when he sees the other two humans make a move, bringing down the elf in one fell swoop. He defends himself against the attacking dog but gets grazed by its bite. He however avoids its attempt to trip him, as well as dodge an incoming sword swing.

When he regains his balance, he readies his blades, but tries to give the attackers one more chance to back away. "You heard the...man. Shall we do this again? Stand down! Know I shall not think twice to bring down my blades." He fixes his steely gaze at the human who attacked him.


Use Demoralize Opponent on adjacent human
[roll0]

Readied attack on the adjacent human if any of the three makes a hostile move
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[FuryOfMetal]

Turning to his adjacent foe, Neg summons up a burst of icy flame to drench the assilant in it's cold embrace. Lets see how you handle this! He is however careful not to hit Ashley, turning to the side as to completely miss him. Unsure of his newfound abilities, Neg may even hit other enemies such as the dog.

Using the Frost Breath breath effect, which is a 15ft cone, I'm aiming it so that the right hand edge of the cone is horizontal on the map and the left edge is therefore vertical with the map. I'm unsure how best to describe the positioning of cones so any input is welcome.

[roll0] cold damage, DC 17 reflex for half.

[Rossebay]

Lurk
The elf dead, Lurk's rage seemed to subside. The other humans hadn't acted against him yet, so he saw no reason to attack. Rather, Lurk circles around to behind the human the Samurai is approaching, his dagger drawn, but clearly on the defensive. He prepares to attack, should the need arise. "No sudden moves, or you'll end up like your friend over there..." As he says this, Lurk presses his dagger against the human's spine.

Readied Action: Attack the human should he act out violently. Sneak attack.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] + [roll2] + 3 = [15]

Attack: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] + [roll5] + 3 = [15]

[Ursus the Grim]

The dog snaps angrily at Taka, but the man next to it puts a hand on its collar and pulls it back.

"I don't know what you bastards have on board that warranted a purge, but I sure know when I'm outmatched. Come on, Griever."

He slowly, carefully lays the bastard sword down and begins to head for the gangplank, pulling the dog most of the way. Just as the hound begins to co-operate, there is a great groaning sound, like that of wood being stressed, and the entirely of the ship lurches to the stern. The human falls flat on his face, and the dog hesitates, uncomfortable with the situation. The ship is moving.

Everyone
I apologize if this seems, arbitrary, but everyone needs to make a DC 10 Balance check or fall prone. Rolls can be made OOC.

[Sallera]

Years aboard ship mean Ashley simply lowers his stance and continues walking, although he takes the opportunity to shoot a glare at the remaining guard. "Next time you see the Sergeant, mention to him from me that someone really ought to train some of the unnecessary belligerence out of Port Protection. You'll never get your job done if you just attack anyone who happens to be standing by."

Striding over to the door and jerking it open, he glances back to the rest and beckons them forward. "Well? Come on, before those fool elves smash half the docks with their incompetent handling."

[Ursus the Grim]

The ship seems to be continuing to pull out of the dock.

Beyond Ashley, the forecastle is well-lit, a few torches burn. There are is a low table with a few chairs, and a short railing marks the edges of staircase heading deeper into the vessel.

For various reasons, please continue to act in turns.

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

When the boat rocks, the young warrior holds himself steady and observes what is happening. He looks at the lights from the pier, which seem to be moving. Then he realizes it is the boat that's moving.

"By the gods. What is happening now?"

[FuryOfMetal]

As the boat rocks below him, Neg gives a short beat of his fledgling wings to raise him a few inches and then lands again, his arms spread out for balance. Neg has never had the fortune of serving aboard an elemental powered vessel, though he has been aboard some for a few hours at a time. Whilst it is disconcerting at first, as a professional sailor it's a god send. Neg follows Ashley below decks. What on earth got into them. I think we may have been caught in the crossfire of something that definitely doesn't concern us. They could've done me a favor and not injure me though. Rubbing his shoulder, Neg sighs and fingers the tear in his shirt.

[Circle of Life]

Tynhon lets out a shout of surprise as his feet suddenly shift out from underneath him. He falls toward the deck, hands stretched out before him. Halfway through the fall his shout becomes a feral snarl, transformation reversing in a flash of white fur. Wide paws slap down on the deck awkwardly, skidding sideways as he struggles to maintain his balance. A few more moments of wobbling unsteadily, and then he lopes after the others, long claws digging tiny furrows into the deck to maintain his footing.

Spend a round transforming, standing up, and 5-ft stepping after the others. He'll be a bit behind the rest unless it takes a few rounds to get where we're going.

[Rossebay]

Lurk
Unlike his feline companion, the reptile appears as though even on his worst days, the shifting of the ship wouldn't give him much trouble. Lurk tilts a little with the ship, but his tail shifts over slightly, and he maintains his posture. His eyes follow Ashley first, and he appears to be thinking.
"Okay, but I'm not going first.", he remarks, following behind the group, but in front of Tynhon. He'd rather have allies on each side than be exposed. He readies himself to draw his crossbow at the first sign of danger.

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

With everyone heading for the door towards the inside of the ship, the young warrior decides to follow. While he makes his way towards the door, he looks back at the soldier who was trying to recover from his fall. "Don't dare try to do anything funny. Might wanna go off while you still can." He sprints his way towards the door and cuts the others off, entering first, "Allow me to lead the way, gentlemen," he says to the others as he does so.

Spend this round moving towards the door.

[Sallera]

"It may not have concerned us before, Dragon, but we don't get this job unless we follow through, and having been attacked does give us legitimate reason for reprisal. We do, after all, have every reason to believe that the elves in the channeling room will act no differently than the one on deck - they were expecting the same signal." Ashley doesn't bother to explain the source of his knowledge, merely waving a hand toward the staircase as the swordsman offers to take point.

"Go right ahead, Blades. One elf near the base of the stairs, keeping watch; five or six more by the channeling column. Turn around at the first landing and go behind the stairs toward the bow. Captain's alone in the cargo hold with the Lieutenant and that brass cat; if they're hostile, we'll need to be swift, but we don't want those elves behind us as we go." He follows along as the swordsman passes by, drawing a ring of twisted silver that trails a phantom flame from his cloak and slipping it onto his finger. Holding his wand in a casual grip, he glances down the staircase, watching for the elf that had appeared to be the senior.

[Ursus the Grim]

Sallera

Ashley notices that belowdecks seems someone brighter than before, a pale, dim white light seems to be emitting from somewhere down there, illuminating the landing at the base of the stairs. No-one is within view.

You hear voices you've heard not too long ago. It seems the other, more experienced mages have yet to calm the youngest down.

"What do you think was down there, Aurelius?"
"Something quite illegal, I am sure. But I am also certain that Sergeant Saliah can handle it. As long as Vurik is with her, she's safe and we have little to worry about."
"Then why the whistle?"

A third voice speaks up, not too far beneath you. Its the leader.

"Silence, Quarion. Take a breath and count to thirty. Saliah has time yet for the all-clear. No reason to rush."

[Sallera]

Ashley seems to perk up, suddenly, as though he's just noticed something intriguing. A wicked grin spreads slowly across his face, and he waves the others forward before leaning on the railing and calling something down. Even without understanding the words, his tone is pretentious and almost mocking, as though called from a stage instead of a ship under siege.

Those who speak Elven:"<Ho there, channelers! Wherefore art we in motion? Have we forgotten something important, to depart port in such haste without the Sergeant's leave?>"

[GuyFawkes]

Unimposing Young Man

He smiles at the other human who called him Blades. He remembers he hadn't heard him introduce yet, but by the looks of it, wands in hands and the way he seems to know where the elves are situated below, is some sort of practitioner of the magical arts. "Blades is a fine name. You can call me Taka as well," he says to the man with a smile as he moves towards the stairs to take a peek down below.

[FuryOfMetal]

Here, let me protect you all from my fiery breath, if you get caught in it. Neg creates some steam and holds it in his gullet, blowing it upon each target in turn. The steam spirals around them, knotting around their limbs and torso and finally dissipates around the targets skull.

I stand at the top of the stairs and use my Endure Exposure invocation on those who go past. I'm prioritising Taka and Lurk as they're mostly likely to be adjacent to the enemies and will be at most danger. This is 2 standard actions though, so Taka wanted to be first through and will get the first casting. Lurk likes to be safe between others so if possible he'll be in range, if not then it's ok. I should've thought of this earlier, the first break in combat I'll cast it on everybody in turn, unless we want to wait now? Ashley may be about to parley and it might not come to bloodshed.

[Ursus the Grim]

An aged but strong voice replies in Common from down the stairs. No one can see the speaker from up top, but it sounds like he isn't far. There is the sound of some movement and murmuring as well.

"Yes, friends. It is actually common practice for us to, having apprehended criminals in our home port, to swiftly whisk them out to see away from the prisons where they belong. Come down, come down, and we shall feast and drink together. I may even let each of you lay with my youngest daughter."

There is a tint of anger in his voice, overwhelming what seems to be a slightly foreign accent.

[Sallera]

Ashley replies with a rich laugh, dropping the highborn accent and archaic language. "Dear me, I would not have taken Tharivol for the sort to train such simple-minded underlings. 'Apprehending criminals?' I'm sure your usual practice for such operations is to immediately attempt to murder the nearest bystanders without so much as a warning."

He shakes his head slowly, the smile still on his face. "You're out of your league, channeler. Are you lot really Port Protection, or are you simply thieves, blending in with the true guards so you can attempt to make off with this fine vessel? Should I have said 'witnesses' instead of 'bystanders?'"

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Even though he heard the dragon's explanation, the warrior is still a bit surprised when some sort of steam swirls around him. "Thanks, I guess." He listens in as a voice speaks from below as if replying to what the other human said earlier. He does not understand the point of the conversation and tries to get the gist of it while listening to the man's reply, and he gathers the man is implying the elves, or whoever they were down there, are not from the port guards. He looks at the man beside him, his look questioning.

[Ursus the Grim]

The same voice drifts back, a more neutral tone than earlier.

"Your attempts to raise me to anger fail, ruffian. Our task is not to purge you. Put down your weapons and remain up there until the Lieutenant restores peace. I have no desire for further bloodshed."

[Sallera]

"Ah, professionalism at last!" Ashley replies, smoothly slipping the wand back inside his cloak. "Good, good, perhaps you pass after all. I truly was beginning to wonder." Hopping over the rail, he begins descending the stairs with theatrical aplomb, the effect aided by the pale ghost-flame of his ring.

"But now that I have found myself in this situation, I confess I am still most curious. What sort of cargo is it that you find so dangerous you must attempt to purge anyone who happens to be nearby?"

[Ursus the Grim]

The elder elf is, from first glance, the psion's opposite. Aged, stern-looking, and dressed simply. There is no trace of flamboyance in his bearing. He stands not too far from the doorway nearby. In one hand he holds an unfurled scroll, the other is free and pointing directly at Ashley. He does not seem panicked, but his eyes are locked on the 'ruffian'. His robes match the uniforms of the men killed on the main deck, and there are two scroll cases at his side. The haft of some weapon protrudes from beneath his robes.

"I asked you to stay up top, but I see you are unarmed. Since, unlike those human brutes, I take no pleasure in fighting, I may as well tell you what I know. . . which is, simply, nothing. Only that such a signal is only reserved for the most heinous of criminals. I myself have only had the misfortune of hearing it once. . . we were raiding a cabal dwelling devoted to the Shadow. The horrors are such that I do not desire to recount them. What do you know of this ship's cargo?"

The entirety of this deck is lit by pale, colorless strips embedded in the walls, about the length and size of a sunrod. A number of standalone rooms are visible, clearly differentiated from one another by different textures and staining. Most of the surfaces down here are a more normal wooden color, lacking the extravagant paint job bestowed upon the hull of the ship. It is quite spacious for a belowdecks area, and there are easily ten feet from the floor to the ceiling, perhaps fifteen.

Anyone coming down the stairs is entitled to a Spot check.

Sallera
Ashley, especially knowing of it already, notices the room he spied upon the elves in earlier is just down the short hallway nearby. He sees all of them with their eyes down the hallway, watching the conversation unfold. Beyond them is the channeling column, its color still quite intense.

[Sallera]

"I know no more of it than you do," Ashley answers, not deigning to acknowledge the elf's pointing finger as he continues down the stairs to stand even with him, leaning against the banister with arms crossed. "I first set foot on this ship scant minutes before you arrived. Although it appears that I am more inclined than you to find out. I know the Sergeant didn't seem to think much of this investigation, but clearly the Lieutenant found something interesting. Vurik may be a formidable beast, but given your stated reference point for this sort of situation, do you really think that's enough? Is Saliah so skilled?"

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka is surprised by the other human's readiness to put away his wands and go face the ones below. But then again, maybe he didn't need those wands, he thought. He decides to follow suit, sheathing his weapons, and goes down the stairs; he is confident in his speed of reaction should he need his weapons anyway. He listens in to the conversation as he slowly makes his way down the stairs, and when he reaches the bottom, he raises his hands and butts in.

Spot: [roll0]
"No pleasure in fighting you say, and yet you let your comrades on us, who have not an inkling on the situation? Or you simply don't want to stain your own hands with the dirty work?" He starts by expressing his displeasure in the sudden attack they received earlier. He walks slowly and positions himself next to the other human and continues. "No matter. As you already know, the lot of us have just arrived a little while before you came barging in, and have no clue in what is happening at all. As such, I will not tolerate any more aggressive actions. Though now that it has come to this, I am inclined to see this through, as I wish to believe in the innocence of my prospective employer until proven otherwise. But do not worry, regardless of the outcome, you shall see no violence started by me. Now, where's the captain and your commanding officer?"

[Ursus the Grim]

The elf almost scoffs, as if the mere thought was absurd. Still, he starts to relax.

"Tharivol is a proud man, he wouldn't entrust an investigation to Saliah is she wasn't formidable in several ways. She's a tough one, and can be more ferocious than Vurik if something gets her riled up. We've all heard tales of Dashivi's skill, but if anyone is her equal, its the Sergeant."

He arches an eyebrow as Taka butts in, visibly displeases with the human's tone.

"You could learn some manners from your friend, young man. I am not in charge of the guard, and fulfill a very specific task. My acting officer is, as one would assume, down below, wherever the cargo hold is in this infernal ship. Ever since the whistle sounded, its been quiet. I would have investigated, but I had a job to do. Now, will you leave us alone so we can finally stop the ship?"

Taka, Spot DCs 10 from everyone else.

There are wisps of a deep white mist rising slowly from the grating nearby, and smoky tendrils snake up from the stairs, as if a cloud had suddenly begun to spread in the next deck.

[FuryOfMetal]

Looking around, and noticing the smoke spewing from the grate in the wall, Neg tries to spot the stairs. Neg tries to goad more information from the elderly elf. What is your role in this operation anyway, Elf? Knowing of our peaceful intentions, I'm sure you'll let us pass and we'll present ourself to your superior and we can sort this mess out. Neg's eyes flash to the smoke for a moment. Fire's on a ship are never a good omen.

[Sallera]

"Ah, so it was not your men that started it? Now that does look suspicious for the Captain, doesn't it?" Ashley glances briefly at Taka, attempting to hide his irritation. If we do end up working together, I'll have to make a mental note of his proclivity for saying things best left implied. Then again, the man was clearly foreign; perhaps he simply did not come from a subtle culture.

"Well, Saliah may be up to the task, but I think I'll have a look all the same. That mist looks rather ominous," he adds, crooking a finger at the grate. "Fare well, channeler. I'll let you return to your task; while I'd fear more for whatever we hit than the Raven itself, I'm sure the experience would still be quite unpleasant for all involved." With an amiable wave, Ashley brushes past Taka, the pale fire of his ring the last thing visible as he heads down the lower staircase and vanishes into the mist.

Once out of sight, he takes a moment to center himself, then touches a finger to one of the small stones stored in his cloak, drawing a twisting tendril of knowledge outward, a temporary image to shape his power around. A few seconds of concentration, and the mist around him becomes just a bit more transparent, his perception of the eddies and clouds acquiring an extra dimension.

Attempt to regain focus, but only twice; don't have too much time to waste.
Concentration, DC20: [roll0], [roll1]
After that, borrow knowledge of Synesthete from the power stone, taking 10 on the Psicraft checks, and manifest it, feeling light for a +4 Spot bonus. That'll be 4-5 rounds, so if any of the others want to catch up, (or interruptions need to happen,) they can.

[FuryOfMetal]

Anxious to investigate whatever was happening downstairs, Neg follows suit and thanks the Elf for his time. Neg sees the lanky human's calm authoritive attitude and takes note. This is one to learn from, Neg thinks to himself.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Ha! Manners. I attack your comrade in front of you right now, and then lecture me on manners." His face turns into a scowl. But the smoke coming from below concerns the hot-headed young warrior more than a debate on manners and quickly turns his back on the elf and proceeds down the stairs.

[Ursus the Grim]

The elf falls silent, a dismissive scowl on his face as Taka's anger makes itself apparent.

As the stairs descend, you can make out the vague outline of the features of this deck, though the pale lights create an eerie effect as they diffuse through the mist. Like on the floor above it, there is a large wooden grate set into the floor. This seems to be the source of the mist, as its extremely thick in the back corner nearest the wall it is adjacent to. A wooden wall blocks off much of the deck from vision. To the bow of the ship is a strong, blue glow, partially obstructed by a waist high object of some sort.

Spot and listen checks as you come down the stairs.

[FuryOfMetal]

Descending the stairs, Neg takes in the layout of the deck. His eyes are instantly drawn to the blue glow. Whispering to himself Could that be...where the elemental is shackled? Neg's curiosity gets the better of him as he begins walking towards it, apparently unaware of what he's doing. As he gets closer, Neg can't help but look at the source of the blue glow.

[Sallera]

Ashley continues downward as the others arrive, brushing aside the veil of mist with a wave of his hand. Seeing where it is thickest, he makes his way over to the second grating, kneeling down and peering into the next deck. Is this one of your defense mechanisms, Captain? You seemed sincere enough, but I am better at lying than judging a liar...

[Ursus the Grim]

FuryOfMetal
As Faerneg approaches the glowing blue object, he gets a pretty good look at it as it pulses almost hypnotically to the naive, yet curious dragonborn. The source of the light appears to be a large column that emerges from the floor and runs up to the ceiling, much like an oversized glass pipe. Inside the column swirls what seems to be a mixture of water and steam, shedding oceanic colors, turquoises and azures and deep emerald greens. Mounted in front of the column is what seems to be a control device of some sort. There are six levers, arranged in two rows of three. They each appear to have two positions. All but one are clicked to the left. The middle one in the bottom row appears to be toggled to the right.

Extremely high-res visualization. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oaEUSQ3kPFcxn-tKOiEQAvaWtxSEAazk4HKi0bt0gRU/edit?hl=en_US)

Sallera
Beneath the grate you can barely make out what looks like a solid wooden deck some fifteen feet below, but the mist is extremely thick and prohibits any further view. As it is, you're not entirely sure its there, only catching passing views of it.

You, however, hear a menacing whisper as somebody moves down there. It sounds like Saliah, but you don't hear anything that would be Vurik or Dashivi. You don't quite catch what is being said.

[Sallera]

Ashley takes a moment to shift his perceptions, and while the mist returns to its usual opacity, the sounds bouncing around the deck seem drawn to him now, as he feels them play across his skin. In a low voice designed to carry but not echo, he calls down through the grate. "Lieutenant Saliah? I hope I am not interrupting anything delicate, but just what did you find down there, and are you capable of dealing with it?"

Shifting Synesthete to feel sound.
Listen: [roll0]

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

When Taka reaches the landing, the blue glow from the bow immediately catches his attention, as well as the grate on the floor, which seems to be the source of the mist. He focuses on the two others who were there ahead before him, one approaching the grate, the other the blue light. He decides to watch out for them both rather than approach one or the other. He wants to be ready for anything.

[FuryOfMetal]

Turning back to the group, Neg jogs over. I should ask our new captain, if she remains our captain, about this if the oppurtunity arises he thinks to himself, then shares his findings with everybody. It's probably best we don't touch ANYTHING over there. Looks far too important to be meddling with. Neg stands next to the tall human and hopes for a response from the Lieutenant.

[Ursus the Grim]

Tynhon quietly pads down the stairs and sits regally upon his haunches at the base, scanning the chamber. Lurk moves over to the starboard side and peers down the hallway.

Beneath the grate, the shape of a woman appears from the mist, her sword drawn and ready. She seems to scan her surroundings once before turning her attention upwards. Her eyes narrow as she notices you.

"You. You monsters are in league with this demon!" she hisses before darting off into the mist.

Sallera
Ashley feels her words, strong but weak, as she speaks them. The sound of footsteps are leading away, towards the bow of the ship, underneath the walls nearby. Ashley notes her direction just before she slips from his perception.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Monster? What in the lord's name is this thing anyway? Well, only one way to find out, right? Taka slowly inches his way into the direction of the woman, ready for anything that will appear before him. He stops before entering the mist, then gathers himself and decides to push forward.

[FuryOfMetal]

Monsters? Well nothing for it I guess. Neg plunges into the mist, patting Taka on the shoulder as he passes him with a mad grin on his face and a lust for adventure.

[Sallera]

Well, that hardly sounded like a sane and reasoned response... I believe a little altruism is called for, if only to fill the role I've cast myself into. Rising to his feet, Ashley shakes his head and moves around to the side of the chamber, looking for the next set of stairs.

"Head down to the next level, then make for the bow. I am not certain the Lieutenant is in full possession of her wits at this point, so a little restraint may be in order once we find her." Drawing a different crystal wand from his cloak, this one a pale blue, he strides forward without any further hesitation.

[Ursus the Grim]

Tynhon nods his approval at the strategy, one which would minimize bloodshed and unnecessary death. He follows Ashley and Lurk as they proceed down the corridor. Eventually the two corridors meet on the other side, a large empty room with what appears to be a smaller, separate room inside, and a staircase leading downwards. The mist down the stairs is even thicker. You'd probably have difficulty seeing much past your own arm.

Lurk removes the poisoned bolt from its place and clutches it expertly, if dangerously, in his jaws as he mounts a mundane one in its place.

Map's been updated. Heading past the Blue Line, a creature would have concealment if they were adjacent to you, and total concealment if they were further.

[Sallera]

"Head down the stairs and spread out," Ashley says, his voice low and firm. "Blades and Lurk take the left, Sage and Dragon the right; I'll take the centre. Form a loose line across the ship and move forward; use your ears. Find the Lieutenant, if you can, or the source of this mist. Call out if anything tries to eat you."

It felt good to have a crew again, even if they weren't really his crew. With some work, they might even learn to listen to him. But all of that was dependent on finding the real source of this incident, and whether Dashivi was truly behind it. Following his own advice, he starts down the stairs, keeping an ear out for trouble.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka nods his ascent at the other human's suggestion, and quickly heads down the stairs, not flinching with the increased thickness of the mist. He doesn't want to look aggressive so he did not take out his weapons yet; he can draw them anytime he'd need them anyway.

[Ursus the Grim]

The lighting here is different, a few torches seem to be scattered about the deck, allowing some degree of visibility outside the fog. But in it, all you can make out are a dozen or so crates, about the height of a human man's chest. There appear to be some chambers on this level too. There is a large, open area just beyond the crates, and you notice some of the fog is drifting upwards there, and through the grate above.

Edit: GuyFawkes
Taka can hear footsteps in the mist, the sound of heavy boots with uneven footfalls, the metallic rustle of chain links. He can't see the source of the sound, but someone is certainly in that mist.

[Sallera]

Waving the others around to the sides, Ashley advances toward the nearest gap, holding the burning ring high as he pads around the corner. This certainly seemed like a cargo deck; whatever the source of the trouble was, this would be a likely place to find it.

Hide: [roll0]
MS: [roll1]
Spot: [roll2]
Listen: [roll3]

[FuryOfMetal]

Time to go groping around in the mist then. Neg steps forward, disturbs the edge of the mist with his scaly fingers and then starts to move through it once it appears safe. His legs are ungainly though and he manages to make far more noise than he intended.

Hide and MS seems a good idea. Just checked and I lose my Whisper Gnome hide and MS bonuses, which is a shame.

Hide [roll0]
MS [roll1]
Spot [roll2]
Listen [roll3]

Also a Knowledge Arcana and Spellcraft roll about the mist, because it may be magical and spell based.
Arcana [roll4]
Spellcraft [roll5]

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Following his companions' lead, the young warrior moves down the stairs and works his way through the maze of boxes, taking the leftmost route as stealthily as he can; whatever was that noise might be friendly or not, and he does not want to take the chance. As he moved, he squints his eyes and trains his ears, hoping he would see whatever it was first before it does him.

Hide: [roll0]
MS: [roll1]
Spot: [roll2]
Listen: [roll3]

[Ursus the Grim]

Realizing the thickness of the mist would make his crossbow useless, Lurk holsters it and draws his knives, allowing his chameleonic skin to cause him to disapear from view. The White Sage has less in terms of gifts for stealth, and is quite conspicuous coming down the stairs. As the group moves forwards into the mist, a large copper-hued blur hurls itself at Ashley from behind, a deep, unnerving sound resounding as it pounces like some draconic lion. Taka hears the noise behind him but is distracted as Saliah appears from around the corner, bastard sword swinging and fury in her eyes.

"I'll break a bone for every one of them!"

Sallera
You failed both checks, so you're flatfooted against these. However, you do have concealment from the fog, so a result of 25 or lower on d100 means he missed. (Blind-Fight simplified.)

Bite
[roll0] and [roll1] for [roll2]
Claws
[roll3] and [roll4] for [roll5]
[roll6] and [roll7] for [roll8]

GuyFawkes
You detected her attack in time, allowing you to retain your full AC. Disregard the attack if her d100 roll is less than 51.
[roll9] and [roll10] for [roll11]
If it hits, you need a Fort DC 13 save or you take [roll12] cold damage and become fatigued.

FuryOfMetal
You realize this fog is certainly not natural. It appears to be the result of an Obscuring Mist spell. You have a hunch it wasn't cast long ago.

Roll Initiative everyone. With the surprise round over, you can act immediately if your Initiative beat 10.

[Sallera]

Ashley's voice gains a harder edge as the brass cat's swipe connects, although his lips twist into a sharp smile. "Ah, Lieutenant. It is good to see your pet still lives, but your attitude is starting to grow tiresome. You would do well to provide an accounting of your actions now, rather than forcing us to drag you back to the channelers." Thrusting the false fire from his ring into Vurik's face, he vanishes forward into the mist, following the wall of crates to the left where Saliah's voice had come from.

Withdrawing forward and around.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka is able to dodge the lieutenant's blade, thanks in part to the mist, he thinks to himself. While dodging, he notices his position, being pinned between his attacker and the draconic monster at his back, and quickly uses the momentum shift of the lieutenant to squeeze his way past her and position himself more favorably.

In that split second, Taka has drawn out his trusted katana, holding it at his side, and glares at the lieutenant. "I shall be giving you one last chance. We have tried reason yet you continually answer back with violence. If you raise your sword once more, or don't hold your pet back, I shall hear no words from you any longer."

5-foot step diagonally to the upper left.
Readied action: Attack the lieutenant if she or her pet does anything aggressive towards any of them.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[FuryOfMetal]

Surely you see you're outnumbered and surrounded here. If you were to just surrender, or atleast lower your weapons and call off your beast. Either way, Neg took a step back from the beast to try and diffuse the situation but mainly to increase the distance between himself and it's claws. He holds some fire in the back of his throat just incase it comes to violence

I take a 5ft step to the right and ready an action to breath a 30ft line of fire which will hit both enemies assuming they don't move. [roll0] fire damage, DC 17 reflex for half.

[Ursus the Grim]

Tynhon, unable to see much to use his Lunar Radiance, resorts disdainfully to his jaws, attempting to bite at the large, catlike creature, but failing to land a solid blow.

Saliah hisses with disdain, and brings her sword up in a two-handed swipe. Taka's blade comes down and grazes her, but she presses forward, continuing her attack, even as a gout of flame scorches the air nearby.

Vurik, despite his size, moves to avoid the worst of the fire with suprising grace before leaping forward, growling in a guttural tongue. "Kerrin vurr. . . ."

Lurk is nowhere to be seen.

Edit: Removed miss chance rolls.

GuyFawkes

[roll0] for [roll2] slashing damage.
If it hits, you need a Fort DC 13 save or you take [roll3] cold damage and become fatigued.

FuryOfMetal
He's attempting to grapple you. against AC 18.
Melee touch attack [roll4], opposed grapple check [roll5]. If he's succeeded, you take [roll6] subdual damage.

Oh, and those words? Its broken Draconic, as if spoken by something of a slow child, but sounds like "Crazy human", with a tinge of regret.

[Sallera]

Following the wall, Ashley brings up his wand on reflex as the swordsman emerges from the mist in front of him, but manages to avoid firing once he realizes it's the wrong one. The clashing blades indicate his real target isn't far off, though, and he shifts to one side.

"Blades. Duck," he mutters, tapping the man on the shoulder. A second later, he flicks the wand past Taka's face, sending a spray of adhesive slime toward the Lieutenant.

Since Taka's neatly negated my attempt to get a clear shot, we'll just have to fire blindly.
Ranged touch: [roll0]
Concealment: [roll1]
If it hits, Saliah's entangled for 5 rounds.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The warrior takes the retaliating strike from the lieutenant and grits his teeth. He is surprised as he feels something tap him from behind but hearing the voice calling him Blades, he knows it was his other companion, and proceeds to duck as he is told, just in time to see some sort of slimy substance shoot past beside his face.

When he recovers, Taka takes a deep breath and focuses his energy into his blade, then proceeds to cut down the lieutenant.

Spend 1 ki point to use ki strike(+1 weapon enhancement, 2 rounds)
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[FuryOfMetal]

GET...OFF...ME! huffs Neg as he hurls fire from his gullet. Due to the beast's position on top of him Neg rakes his body with fire, streaming the heat up and down it's form, searing away it's flesh and skin.

[roll0] DC 17 reflex, however whilst grappling you love your dex bonus and your ability to reflex save if I remeber correctly. I'm AFB now at the moment though.

[Ursus the Grim]

Saliah dodges the adhesive slime, and prepares to bring her blade back towards Taka. However, she is too slow, and the expertly crafted katana digs deep into her shoulder. She cries out in pain as she sinks to the ground, where the mist begins to cover her body like a pale grey shroud.

Vurik, the more powerful combatant in the grapple, manages to move his head in time to avoid some of the flames. He seems more angered by them than pained, however, and releases a mighty roar as Tynhon nips at his heels.

There is a second roar from above you, but it takes you a moment to trealize that sound was more akin to an explosion a deck or two above you, near the fore of the ship.

Everyone
DC 15 Will Save or be exhausted: -6 to Str and Dexterity, half speed.

[Sallera]

Ashley pushes forward as he hears Saliah hit the deck, throwing off the sudden wave of magic from above with a faint flicker of violet. Oh, wonderful, that sounded like the channeling column. Don't tell me the truth turned out to be the same as my bluffs again...

His first instict upon reaching the Lieutenant is to reach for her blade before bringing her back, but the body's complete lack of movement soon proves the gesture unnecessary. "Damn it," he mutters under his breath, not bothering to hide an irritated sigh. That's going to make things difficult. We need to find the captain before this situation sinks any further.

"Vurik!" he snaps. "Tharivol's charge is, unfortunately, ended. Neither you nor we have any reason to continue fighting. Stop this, and we can find out what's actually going on."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka's blade finds its target, cutting down and into the lieutenant's shoulder, and he knew it was a fatal one. He grits his teeth and mutters under his breath, "I did not wish for this," directed maybe more to himself, as if to convince himself his taking of a life was justified.

But he has no time to sit down and reflect, for he knows the beast was still there, and now another sound comes from above, like an explosion. He quickly moves as soon as he hears the other human talk to the beast. Seriously, like it can understand you. The young warrior darts past him and lunges straight at the beast's hind leg. "We have no time for negotiations! Do something to incapacitate it! Quickly!"

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Sallera]

'Do something to incapacitate it.' As if that's the easiest thing in the world. Well, at least he has a high opinion of my talents, if a rather unwarranted one in this case. Ashley shakes his head with a sigh, although the gesture is mostly lost to the mist.

"If cutting the Lieutenant near in half is your idea of restraint, then I'm sure you'll have no trouble with this fight if you really try," Ashley mutters, barely audible over the sounds of combat. "But playing cat-and-mouse is not exactly the most effective way of avoiding shipwreck, arrest, and execution at the moment."

[Ursus the Grim]

Taka's blade strikes the creature, but not with enough force to make it through its thick hide.

You hear a voice from the mists, on the other side of the beast. It sounds like the lizardman you met on the top deck.

"Will you apes calm down? It can't understand you!"

There are a few words that Taka and Ashley can't understand, and the creature seems to be responding in growls of its own. It has yet to release Faerneg, but doesn't seem to have mauled him too badly.

"He seems willing to listen. What should I say?"

FuryOfMetal
The exchange seems to go like this, seemingly unaware that you understand Draconic.
Vurik! Your human female is dead. We can stop fight!
Human try hurt me. I kill this scaly one.
No need! We can stop hurting you. If you let that one go.
Why? You not scary. I can kill all!
But you would get hurt more. We can be friends instead.

Note that you still have an action. They're just talking, so you get to actually do something before Vurik if he decides to keep fighting.

[Sallera]

Ah, now we're getting somewhere. "Remind him that Saliah was obviously not thinking clearly when she chose to attack us, and that Tharivol would be quite disappointed to hear he had been fighting innocents without cause, which he no longer has without Saliah's orders. And add that he's probably going to be swimming back to shore if he doesn't let us get on with solving this problem."

The creature's draconic nature comes to mind, and he adds, "You may as well also mention that if he feels like helping us out by providing information on what's been happening down here, instead of fighting, I'd be quite willing to pay for it."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The other human's remarks are slowly getting into the hot-blooded youngster. Although it was just a mutter, he heard it, and he wheels around and shoots a stare at the man. When he hears what seems to be the lizard man from earlier say he can communicate with the beast, he calms down a bit.

"Good. At least when you talk, we can have results, ," he said to the lizardman as he tries to work his way around the beast. Unlike somebody else. Is what he really wanted to add.

[FuryOfMetal]

Neg loudly relates Ashley's statements in draconic to lizard above and to the snarling form still ontop of him. He follows up with We've already been forced to cut Saliah down needlessly, there's no need for any of this bloodshed. Looking into the singed face above him, he said in a low voice That includes getting off of me.

[Ursus the Grim]

Vurik stares down at Faerneg, seemingly considering the request. Then releases his grip on the Dragonborn and takes several steps back, his head lowered. Now that you're close, you can see his hide is covered in fur and scales alike, and two large wings are held close to his body, seeming to blend in and give him a more streamlined appearance.

Garushk vix'marik ulk.

"I'm coming out now. I'm unarmed, but keep that cat away from me."

Dashivi appears near Ashley as the mist seems to thin out. Her hands are raised above her head, and true to her word, her weapon is nowhere to be seen. Ashley and Taka can see several large gashes in her clothes and armor, but she doesn't appear to show any other signs of being wounded.

Fury
The rough equivalent is "No lair/home now."

Combat is concluded, turns no longer being tracked.

[FuryOfMetal]

Neg gets up and dusts himself off before stepping back one pace and bowing gently to the creature infront of him. <I have no home either, not now. What is your name?>

[Sallera]

Good. One less body to explain away, from the sounds of it, and a decent ally for convincing the rest above if Dragon can talk him around. I'll leave them to it... oh, now that's even better.

Ashley bows to Dashivi as she appears, a predatory grin appearing on his face. "Hello again, Captain. This has been a fascinating interview, don't you think? But at this point, I think I really must ask what it was that set all of this off."

[Ursus the Grim]

"Damned if I know, friend. We came down here to check out the hold and send her on her way. She insisted I step back while she looked inside. She opened the door, screamed, and came after me. Between her and that smelly beast, I barely made it away from her. Crazy little wench. . . still. . . ."

She nudges Saliah's body with her boot and makes a face that is both sad and disgusted.

"Well, I don't know what to do now. Good old Tharivol's a reasonable sort, but explaining to him why his subordinate is dead on my ship is going to be hard. What of the rest of them? Did they get off before Raven decided to leave?"

The creature stares at Dashivi for a moment, but seems to relax when she lifts her hands. There is a moment of pride in his bearing, perhaps arrogance at seeing the woman return humbly.

"Munthek ominak reshick. V'ominak pakish 'kosj lefsh'. Verth gach respak.'

FuryOfMetal

Humans call me correct. My name means 'Little Brass'. I did not choose.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka eases up a bit when he sees the captain. At least all of this would be clearer now. He moves forward towards her and speaks, "Fear not. I shall take all the blame for whatever repercussions of taking her life might entail," he motions at Saliah. "But more importantly, it is imperative we settle this matter right now, before we all end up at the bottom of the ocean. There's that thing that Saliah saw that made her go on attacking us, and now that explosion a moment ago."

[Sallera]

The Raven decided, hmm? Ashley purses his lips in thought, trying to plan around the new information. "The ones up top attacked us as soon as Saliah loosed her signal. I didn't kill any of them myself, but all but one went down before the ship started moving, and I didn't think there was time to waste checking the rest. The elves playing with your channeling column were more reasonable; I talked my way past them by virtue of finding out what happened to Saliah, here, so her death may cause trouble on the way back. Vurik being alive and on our side will help with that, I hope."

With a lazy toss of his head, he shrugs and motions toward the cargo hold. "All we need is a convincing bit of hidden cargo to sink the lot, though. Do you have blasting glyphs or similar traps on the channeling column? If that explosion we heard was those fool channelers fiddling with things they shouldn't have and tripping a ward, we've plenty of time to investigate. If not... well, we may have to split up a bit. Either way..."

Raising his voice a little, he calls over to the others talking with Vurik. "Lurk, we need you to scout past the next door for us. The captain can show you which one." Turning back to Saliah's body, he crouches down with a sigh, and starts discreetly going through her pockets in search of Tharivol's letter. He was starting to get very curious about what it had said...

[Ursus the Grim]

"I don't blame you. In fact, were it not for your intervention, they would likely have found me and finished me off by now. My heroes. She smirks only slightly as she says it, but her expression darkens when she notices the wounds you have endured on her behalf. "Oh, that won't do."

She lifts a hand to her silver pin and speaks some prayer in a language unknown, and Taka's pain seems to ebb away.

"There, that's a little better. Lurk, the cargo hold is behind the stairs. Its all on inventory, so don't try to steal anything. . . wait. Those elves were tampering with the column and there was an explosion? I cannot ensure their safety. We should go check it out, but no need for all of us. Taka, they called you? Lead the way."

Tynhon steps to the side to allow everyone to pass, and seem to be changing back into his humanoid form, as Lurk sheds his concealment and makes his way to the hold.

GuyFawkes
You've been cured of [roll0] damage.

Sallera
Saliah wasn't carrying much. On her, you find a signal whistle, an Elixir (conveniently labelled Fire Breath) and the letter you were looking for. It reads, in Elven:

"Authorities of Regalport

I write to warn you. The Blue Raven made a call not too far from my home in Q'barra. Her captain bewitched many of the local boys and men with her tall, foreign form. They were not in their right mind. I slipped aboard the vessel to search for them, but found none. I found none of the other new 'recruits' either. I fear the worst has occurred and beseech you to check the ship's cargo for evidence.

I pray I am wrong, and that my children return safely
Quiescal Heraldibre, Settler"

Roll 1d20+4. Your appropriate modifiers have been taken into account, but the roll is still yours to make.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka feels the warmth spread across his wounds, and he feels them closing up, as if nothing has happened. He rubs the spot where the wounds was, and he feels no pain at all. "Thank you," he says with a bow to Dashivi.

Although he is grateful to the captain's gesture, he still has this doubt in his head. He is still confused with the fact that the lieutenant went and attacked them so fiercely. What did she see that made her act that way? And right now, she is suggesting for us to be separated? He does not know what to think of it, but he can't go acting conspicuously.

"I'm more worried about what spooked the lieutenant than those buffoons upstairs, so the rest should probably go with Lurk. I guess one of you is enough to go with us. We can't have this ship damaged further with reckless fighting, so preferably someone who could convince them without the use of force should come. The rest, look out for Lurk, then follow as soon as you can." Then he looks at Dashivi and moves towards the stairs. "This way, captain."

[Sallera]

The elixir vanishes deftly into a pocket, but Ashley discovers the letter soon enough. He lets out a contemptuous snort at the language used; typical backwater bigotry, but still, it was clear enough how this could have moved the port authorities to action. It certainly wasn't anonymous, though; had Tharivol claimed that to deflect suspicion (unlikely, since he had only raised it), or was there something about the signature that indicated falsehood?

"Take Vurik with you, and Dragon to translate," he adds to Taka's plans without looking up from the letter. "Better for them to see one of the two alive than neither, and if you still intend to claim responsibility for Saliah's death, having him on your side will improve your credibility. If you need someone to speak for you, take Sage as well. I'll go with Lurk; whatever's in there, I'm sure I can come up with something to deal with it." Further inspection was starting to reveal to him all the little oddities Tharivol had presumably noticed as well; the letter was obviously not from who it claimed to be, hence the Sergeant's comment about an anonymous tip, but he had followed through regardless. Was he being pressured by someone above to keep the Raven in port? Perhaps without its captain? Rolling the letter closed, he tucks it inside his cloak before rising and following the lizardfolk to the cargo hold.

[Ursus the Grim]

"So I can speak for Taka, but not for myself?"

Tynhon's smile is slightly menacing, reminiscent of his natural form. He is completely humanoid once again.

"I must agree with Ashley, Taka. Right now we have frightened, leaderless mages on board. I'm sure they're the greater priority. Faerneg, you may choose to remain down here if you prefer. I'd be surprised if the elves couldn't communicate with their own guard dog." With that, he and the others ascend the stairs.

In the meantime, Lurk continues to inspect the door.
"That's odd. Automatic lock. Thing relocks itself every time the door is closed. I'll have it open in a moment."

[Sallera]

"Odd? Why do you say that? It seems a perfectly reasonable security measure to me." Interested despite his skeptical words, Ashley inspects the door to the cargo hold, although he is careful to remain a few paces back as Lurk works. While he could have the door open with a touch, there was no need to waste the last of his energy like that when they had a perfectly good sneak-thief on board.

[Ursus the Grim]

"Well, if something is so valuable that you need such a lock, why keep it down here? All the captains I've, uh, met, kept their most previous items in their cabin. This is where you store the boring stuff, the stuff that has no value until you get back to port. And at that point it gets unloaded fast anyway. . . almost there."

He grimaces slightly as he works at the mechanism.

[Sallera]

"Ah, I see your meaning. Still, the Raven is a famous ship, and has a history of carrying exotic cargo. Some of that cargo could have been living; you would not want it wandering away if you forgot to lock the door after feeding it," Ashley replies with a smile. "It is odd that the Captain did not think of that lock before leaving, however."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Very well. Those who intend to accompany me and the good captain here, follow me," the young warrior says as he makes his way up the stairs. He then tries to navigate his way back through the mist and find his way back to the upper levels. He is not sure what to expect of the elves, but he certainly feels drawing his weapons would not help. Nevertheless he is on his guard, with both hands at the hilt of his blades.

[FuryOfMetal]

I'll be coming Taka, a translator may indeed help. Not many know my language so they will feel safe conversing with each other in what they think is secrecy. Turning to the Dragonne, Neg asks <We are moving, you are welcome to come with us though. If I find a new den I would be honoured to share it with you. If you don't want to face your handlers then you can stay here and we will return or you can leave. I don't claim any control over you.> Neg turns and follows Taka and the Captain upstairs.

[Ursus the Grim]

Taka is the first up the stairs, and the second to arrive at the scene. The smell is what hits you first, a jarring, nauseating stench. Burnt flesh. A myriad of light sources distort the image before you, the glow of the channeling column and the flicker of embers. A man, the surviving guard from the top deck kneels near the prone form of the eldest elf. He does not look up as you approach.

"Why did they have to die? Old man wouldn't hurt a fly."

Vurik mewls quietly, then slowly pads over and nuzzles the corpse. Dashivi shifts nervously, her hand rising to her pins.

"I would have preferred this did not happen, but they shouldn't have tried to hurt the Raven."

* * *

"Well, that's pretty interesting. . . ."

Lurk finishes his manipulations, flashing a toothy grin at the sound of the 'click'. He peers inside as the door opens.

"There was some sort of magical trap rigged to go off when somebody opened it. Its been discharged recently. Useless now."

Ashley's eyes aren't sharp enough to catch what Lurk notices next. He can make out several crates, but most of the cargo hold is cloaked in shadows.

"That's ugly."

[Sallera]

Well, that is why I had you go first. Curious, though, that it would be discharged if what's inside is what caused Saliah's attack... ah.

"Let's see, then." Stepping forward, Ashley raises his ring above Lurk's head, illuminating the cargo hold.

[Ursus the Grim]

The ring's flame flickers silently, without heat, as it always does. With the improved illumination, Ashley can make out vague shapes in the shadows of the cargo hold. A heartbeat later, and he realizes their nature. Bones, seemingly long-devoid of flesh or muscle, are scattered about like worthless scraps. The smell of rotting meat is absent here, whatever they were, they have been dead for some time, or perhaps cleaned. A skull nearby seems to be staring right at the door, a small one, perhaps that of a halfling, gnome. . . or child.

[Sallera]

"Well now, this matches the letter perfectly. Why, if I were a gullible sort, or perhaps a member of the port authority with a protective streak, it might even move me to immediate and irrational violence!" An awkward pause ensues as Ashley's mind catches up to his tongue; his usual melodrama seemed rather ill-suited to the scene, of a sudden. Even though every piece they'd uncovered fit perfectly into a framed scenario, that still meant someone had gone to a lot of trouble... graverobbing. One would hope. He couldn't allow himself to jump to conclusions too quickly, but he was not in the habit of putting himself in any more danger than necessary either, and whoever was after Dashivi definitely qualified as dangerous. It was also, he reflected, a bit too late to back out.

With a sigh, he slips past Lurk and takes the small skull, tucking it into an inconspicuous pocket. His mentor had mentioned a trick, a few times, that would reveal an object's history; if he could pick up the knack himself, the bone might be useful. For now, however, there was the matter of dealing with the authorities. Even if they could talk their way out of the immediate situation, an unlikely prospect even for him, remaining docked in the same port as the ones who set all this up seemed unwise. "Alright, that's all I needed to know," he says as he leaves the room, carefully shutting the door behind him and ensuring it locks again. "Let's go see what the Captain found. We may need to hold a short strategy meeting."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The sudden assault of the smell of burnt flesh takes Taka as he steps into the floor where the channeling column is, and surely enough, a dead elf lies very much lifeless on the floor. He does not bother to cover his nose, and goes near them. So it is true. They had to go tinker where they shouldn't. Oh dear, this is very unfortunate. The more casualties, the harder the port guard would come down at them later, and the harder it is for them to get out of this. This has to stop now.

"Was there anyone else hurt? Please gather everyone here before someone else gets hurt again. Maybe the captain here could aid them with their injuries. We need to talk regarding this whole situation."

[Ursus the Grim]

The guard shakes his head sadly.

"Afraid not. He held on for a moment after I got here because he was out here. Everyone in that room is dead. They probably assumed it would be safe because Saliah was escorting the captain. I don't know how they failed to detect the wards. We've done this a dozen times. Why did everything have to go wrong?"

Dashivi clears her throat and steps forward.

"For what its worth, I'm sorry. Had I known they were going to try and scuttle the Raven, I would have warned them. We're a trader ship. Our strength is not in cannons or catapults, but in the protective measures we have in place when we're being boarded by pirates. Without knowing what you were planning, I had no way nor time to disable the wards."

A few moments later, Ashley and Lurk reach the top of the stairs, catching up to the rest of the party.

[Sallera]

Sometimes, I really hate it when my bluffs turn out to be true. Ashley gives a melancholy sigh as he reaches the top of the stairs, wrinkling his nose at the smell. Even if I wasn't sure myself, I should have warned them, however unlikely it was that they'd listen.

"Captain." In contrast to his thoughts, Ashley's voice and bearing are crisp and dispassionate. "I believe I have discovered everything I can under the circumstances. Given my findings, we may wish to have a short discussion in private, or at least out of earshot of the boarding party, but we should not take too long."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka turns as the human and lizardfolk appear at the stairs. He follows them with their eyes and waits for whatever they may have to say. When the human asked for a private talk with the captain, he looks back at the dead body on the floor.

"You go then, captain. I shall assist this man in collecting and wrapping the bodies and make sure he doesn't do anything like the others. Are there any more wards inside that needs be disabled?"

[FuryOfMetal]

What a waste. Neg mutters to himself after peering around his allies torso's. It's a shame that they were sent here under false pretenses and attacked, they needn't have died by your wards. Still, this is preferable to the sinking of your vessel, that would damage your reputation even more if this became public. Atleast we can cover this up...if you think that's necessary. After all dead men tell no tales. Turning to Ashley, Neg says I'd be interested in whatever insights you've made. No doubt you have a deeper view of events with your special talents. Dashivi, where would you like us to talk about this?

[Ursus the Grim]

"Very well then. There should be no more wards. Just do not attempt to alter it or disable it. My condolences, good watchman."

She beckons to Neg and Ashley and leads them down a nearby hallway, her hand glowing like a torch. The hall is still mostly dark, something that seems to displease her. She rounds a corner and leads to group into a large dining area with several tables and chairs, some seemingly sized for giants. She leans against the finest table, on a raised ledge that looks over the room.


"So, what have you found?"

[Sallera]

"I shall endeavour to keep this brief, so please save any questions for the end." Ashley leans against the wall, briefly shifting his perceptions through the full spectrum available to him to check for hidden ears. "We shall start with the seeming of things, and then you can give me your perspective. Some time in the recent past - quite possibly earlier today - an unknown agent snuck aboard the Raven. You mentioned that only Lady Relili and yourself were aboard, so he would have had little difficulty, if he was skilled. He made his way to the cargo hold, tripped or disabled the trap on the door, and arranged a selection of old bones to appeal to the sensibilities of the casual observer. This done, he left, his task complete, and his masters dispatched a letter to Sergeant Tharivol."

Withdrawing the letter from his cloak, he unrolls it and holds it up for the others to see. "The forgery is passable, at a casual glance, but a careful study reveals several discrepancies, which we will get to in a moment. Tharivol noticed these discrepancies, I glean - you will notice the note is signed, despite his mention of his source's anonymity - but acted on the information anyway, which indicates that he had at least a suspicion of where it originated, and that origin holds power. After delivering the boarding party here, he caught a contagious yawn and left the investigation - and the letter - in the hands of Saliah, who did not detect the forgery. Thus, when she opened your cargo hold, and was greeted with a selection of artfully scattered bones, a child's skull staring her in the face, she was disinclined to take the time to inspect them closely enough to notice their age. Assuming you to be a murderer of the worst sort, she gave her signal and attempted to kill everyone aboard. That brings us, more or less, to the point where we intervened, and the events from there on you know well enough."

Tucking the letter away, he continues. "Now for my suspicions. The letter's sender was almost certainly elven, highborn, and local - they went out of their way to use the language with an unlikely signature to indicate the missive's provenance to Tharivol, and it could not have reasonably reached here with such perfect timing from Q'Barra as it claims. There are three powers I can think of who might have interest in this matter - Xilosti, Elderberry, and Kareval. The first I know little of, at least that relates to the matter at hand. Tharivol is an Elderberry, but to my mind, this speaks both for and against them - they could move him to action more easily, but at the same time, I would think them unlikely to send him into what they almost certainly could have predicted to be a lethal battle. And the Kareval family, as I recall, lost a great deal of money when they lost your services some time past.

"The intended end of this whole setup was, I suspect, your death. The arrangement of the bones in the hold was almost ridiculous, if viewed dispassionately, but it was designed to play directly to the emotions of someone who would already be suspicious, forcing them to immediate action rather than careful analysis. The signal used was far from the usual response; from what the late elder channeler said of it, it should not have been used except in a situation where everyone in the vicinity would be immediately hostile and impossible to capture normally. That said, I cannot assume it would have gone the same way had Tharivol conducted the investigation himself, as he was apparently wont to do, so they may have simply sought your ruin. It is the inability of the evidence to hold up under scrutiny that suggests to me the former - an irrevocable resolution sought so that later suspicion would be fruitless.

"That is, more or less, all I can say for now. It appears you have a powerful and motivated enemy in town, with connections in the Seadragons, and we have just inadvertently given them ammunition. It is up to you what to do from this point, although I would not advise sticking around for long, unless you have a better idea of who is responsible than I do." A smirk creeps onto Ashley's face as he pushes off the wall, indicating the end of his summary. "And even if everything I just said is completely wrong, and you really are a prolific murderer with poor taste in interior decorating, at this point, I'm stuck with you anyway, and I think you're stuck with me too. So!"

With a grandiose sweep of his arm, scattering pale flames through the air, Ashley gives one final bow. "Where shall we go from here, Captain?"

[Ursus the Grim]

Dashivi listens intently as Ashley explains her deductions, her arms crossed as she leans against the table. She waits until Ashley finishes before speaking.

"That all makes sense to me, but there is one detail I think you're wrong on. That trap on the door? That's not supposed to be there. I suppose it would be simple to slip past myself on this vessel, and Lady Relili''s been taking advantage of our port call to rest, I'm sure, but its distressing that the trap was implemented and not detected. When Saliah opened that door, I saw no magical nor mechanical danger. Its. . . peculiar, to say the least. As for the culprits. . . I've never had difficulty with Tharivol's family, and the Kareval brood are a cowardly lot. I can't imagine them moving so aggressively, nor having the funds to do so. That leaves only the Xilosti. An unpleasant lot, to be sure, but never a group that would think of me as any more of a threat than any other. What think you, Faerneg?"

* * *

The work is grisly, and the smell is unfortunate. The bodies further inwards are much worse, scorched and charred beyond recognition. Using the elves' own robes, your eventually, with the guard's, Lurks, and Tynhon's aid, begin to wrap them and line them respectfully around the perimeter.

"The name is Aarbos, by the way. I suppose, for better or for worse, you are stuck with me."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The work is not too much for someone like Taka, who constantly had to do these kinds of jobs for his fallen comrades and subordinates. There is sadness in his eyes for the needless life-taking that has happened here tonight. Although he has been a warrior since he could remember, the aspect of death still hasn't sit well for him; he sees it as a necessary evil, but nonetheless he could still not take it.

When the work is finally over, Taka looks up as the lone survivor introduces himself as Aarbos. He nods as a reply, then sits down on one corner. "I am truly sorry for what happened tonight between us, as I can understand you are just doing your job. However, I believe my other companions have shed light on what is going on here, and I implore you to wait for their explanation."

[Sallera]

"It was not yours? Well, it is possible that whoever placed the bones also set the trap, and Saliah triggered it. If it were some sort of emotional effect, it would not necessarily have a visible manifestation - and it could have served as a subtle enhancement to the effect of the sight inside, making it less important who investigated. But I know well enough the dangers of fitting new information into an old scenario, so we'll continue to consider that peculiar, as you say.

"As for the the ones responsible, those were simply the most likely groups I could think of. It is possible that this was the work of someone else entirely; however, when considering the possibilities, keep in mind that their target may have been you, or they could have wished to acquire the Raven, with your demise only a necessary objective."

With a glance toward the bow, Ashley briefly turns his palms upward. "Most of the information we need to uncover the truth is here in Regalport, likely, and with time - and practice - I could probably find it, but whether remaining in port is wise is another matter. I did little noticeable after Tharivol showed up, but he may have marked me regardless. Likely did, in truth, considering the type of mission he would have thought himself on."

[Ursus the Grim]

Aarbos sighs, wiping the sweat from his brow as the work is finished. There is sadness in his eyes, but he forces his lips into a taut grimace. He turns to look at Taka as the foreign man speaks, and nods understandingly. When Taka finishes, he waits for a moment, as if judging something. Then his hand retrieves something, tucked into his tunic underneath his breastplate. It is a roughly cylindrical object, about a foot long and wrapped in a red velvet cloth.

"Your blades, your armor. I've seen it before, but not recently. You're a good man. I've worked with good men before. I've an eye for them, you know." He moves towards Taka, offering the object. "I picked this up years ago, and its served me well when things get really hairy-like. Its not right, you see, but it spills plenty blood. I'm getting too old for it, but a good young man like you could probably handle it."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

He raises his head and looks at old Aarbos in the eye at the mention of seeing armor and weapon just like him. Although it wasn't that common, but he knew there were times when his would come to Khorvaire, and the Principalities is their usual link. He listens intently at the man's words, and raises an eyebrow when the man motioned to give him something. Nevertheless he stands up and receives the item with both hands.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you. But what is this?"

[Ursus the Grim]

Aarbos merely gestures to the object, indicating that Taka should take a look and see.

The object inside is a sheathed tanto, with a rough, stony grey tsuki, perhaps shark or rayskin. The rectangular tsuba, apparently steel, is wrought in the image of four men with katana, running each other through simultaneously in a grisly ring of death. The saya is an ominous, sanguine red, with no sageo or kurikata, but a simple steel kojiri. This is a weapon of much bloodshed, of that you are certain.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young man opens the cloth to find a beautiful and well-crafted tanto. He admires the craftsmanship for a bit, running his fingers over the intricate details of its tsuba and the roughness of the tsuka. He unsheaths the blade to find an equally remarkable work done on the it as well, showing the talent and skill of a master craftsman. He slides the blade back into its saya and looks at the old man, offering the weapon back.

"Surely this is a very fine weapon, sir. And I am sure this means a lot to you. Though I feel it a great honor for you to give this to me, I do not think I deserve it more than, say, your son perhaps?"

[FuryOfMetal]

I see no fault in Ashley's studious investigation here. On the trap itself however, it could have been planted by someone previous to the letter being sent to the port guard, alerting them to your apparent nature, Dashivi. On the other hand, what if it was planted, along with the bones, by one of the boarding party, under control, magically or otherwise. Admitedly the team weren't aboard long, but we saw no mechanical items, maybe it was a spell or rune of some sort. It would be set to go off whenever somebody entered the room, knowing that it would most likely be someone also from the boarding party who found it. They could have also hoped that you would open it yourself Dashivi, taking you down merely as a bonus. Faerneg shrugs, Though if they wanted to kill you, a simple assassination would've been much simpler and cleaner. I'm sure Ashley has a much better handle on the situation, but with the threads of investigation so tangled at the moment there could be many possible reasons.

I believe I used too many commas there, though it didn't feel right to divide the sentences up so much with full stops. Meh.

[Ursus the Grim]

"Yes, its certainly not a good situation we find ourselves in, my friends." She heaves herself off the table and into a standing position, where she massages her forehead momentarily with one hand. Then she shrugs. "We have been too long away from the grisly task at hand. We should return, clean up, and get our bearings. That guardsman is certain to be at odds with me, but I do not fear him. Vurik is a fearsome beast, but so long as he is kept at bay, I do not mind his presence. Now, come with me. I've got to retrieve some more provisions for the coming burials."


* * *

Aarbos simply shakes his head.

"Ain't got no kids, and most women find me pretty offensive, so I'm single," he explains with a half-hearted chuckle. "Its yours, keep it."

He falls silent again, as Dashivi arrives, her arms full with several lengths of chain and Ashley and Faerneg in tow.

[FuryOfMetal]

Hope we're not interrupting anything, but we're going to start cleaning up and burying bodies. Speaking of which, will they be recieving a sea burial or will be risking going ashore?

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka smiles an earnest smile at the old man and takes the gift, wrapping it in the cloth. "Thank you very much. I shall treasure it with my life," he says with a bow. He is in the process of keeping his new gift when the others return to the room.

"Ah yes, Captain. What news do you have for us?"

[Ursus the Grim]

Dashivi drops the heavy chains and padlocks to the wooden floor and wipes her grimy hands on her thigh. She clicks her tongue as she considers her next words.

"Well, the thing is, by now I'm sure we're well out of port, probably out of sight of shore. Even if we were still docked, I'm afraid wanted fugitives looking to bury a few bodies isn't going to be received well. There is nothing wrong with a burial at sea."

Aarbos agrees, from the looks of it. He has taken a length of chain and is carefully wrapping it around the nearest body.

[Sallera]

"Well, if we're that far out of port already, that may be one part of the matter decided for us." Crouching down, Ashley tucks the burning ring away and assists in attaching links to the bodies, but he makes no attempt to move them.

"Did one of you retrieve Saliah, yet?"

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka stops in his tracks. How could he have forgotten Saliah. Holding his forehead, he gets some extra sheets and proceeds down. "Yes, I'm sorry. I shall take care of her."

The trip down alone is too depressing for the young warrior. Indeed he has been into this business of death-dealing for quite a long time. Indeed he has not yet been quite used to the death part. Am I not meant for this? Maybe...maybe that's why my Lord sent me far away from home. Away from that battlefield that time. Maybe I really wasn't ready.

He reaches Saliah's body, and he sees it still lying there, motionless in the mist. He couldn't look at her face directly. Maybe there was guilt. He placed the sheets over the lieutenant and and wrapped her whole body. After he is done, he lifts her with both hands and starts back towards the room.

In his mind, he reassures himself. Yes, I was just merely protecting myself. It would have been me lying there, if not her.

[FuryOfMetal]

Ah, it skipped my mind that we'd started moving. The sea legs help me forget we're on a rolling sea. Neg bends down and helps to wrap the bodies in chains, binding Saliah aswell when Taka brings her lifeless form from below.

[Sallera]

There are still a few corpses to finish, but Ashley wipes the grime from his hands and stands anyway. "Well, if you have any words to say for these ones, I suppose now is the time. I'm going to take a last look up top before you start dragging corpses back out there."

Free of other distractions for a moment as he climbs the stairs, Ashley takes the time to contemplate his new position. Technically he had already been running, so there wasn't much of a change on that front. At least his new set of pursuers wouldn't have anything against him personally. And he had a very nice ship, even if it wasn't his. The captain had turned out to be... interesting. Surprisingly softhearted, but sensible and insightful. Someone he could work with, for certain. And the rest of the crew had their uses as well, although he would have to find out who or what this 'Lady Relili' was, preferably sooner rather than later.

The question, then, was how to approach the problem of finding the truth of this matter and getting Rygar's people off their backs. He doubted the Prince was involved personally; this scheme, while elaborate, was too low-level and reeked of barely-concealed secrecy. Rygar's plans would not be so sloppy. On the other hand, Dashivi seemed unconvinced of the likelihood of the other houses he had thought of being involved. Still, he had two physical clues. If he could work out the knack of reading them, that might narrow down the field of possible candidates enough to lead him in the right direction. For the moment, though, it seems as if there is little point in sending anyone back to the port. Their next destination would have to be Dashivi's call.

[Ursus the Grim]

All of the bodies are wrapped and bound, prepared for their delivery into the deep blue sea. As Ashley heads up top, Aarbos brings a hand to his mouth, as if biting down on his sorrow.

"Saliah, Gerschwan. . . everyone. . . . I never thought this would be the end of us. I was prepared to lose some friends when I chose this calling. But all of you, gone. The hours we worked, we were family. My brothers, each of you, regardless of what your sex or race was. . . my brothers. You were thrown away as part of a plan none of us understand, but I promise you, as long as my heart still beats, I will find the bastard responsible and avenge you. Vurik and Griever survive with me, and I am certain they feel the same."

Ashley realizes how far out they have been carried, and its almost impossible to believe. The Raven hasn't ceased her movement, not once since she departed. Regardless of that fact, the distance she has crossed is incredible, the shining lights of Regalport only a flicker on the horizon. Other lights, other ports, dot the night. Out here, though, its dark beyond the lights of the deck torches, the deep dark sky and the still black ocean merging to give the sense of a silent trip through the abyss.

The bodies are carried up, and spaced evenly along the port and starboard rails. Dashivi bows her head in what appears to be prayer before lifting it.

"These were good people. Aarbos has said his piece. Does anyone else wish to speak before we commit their bodies to the deep as their spirits rise to the afterlife?"

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"If I may, I would like to say a few words myself." He pauses a bit to be given the floor, then continues. "I may not known any of these people personally, but as my lord had taught me, those you meet in the battlefield and cross swords with, you get to know more about them than if you would spend time talking to them. And in crossing swords with some of them, I felt their sincerity and conviction to their given task. As a fellow soldier, I salute this dedication to their duty. They shall not be forgotten." He pauses again to say a silent prayer.

"May the gods take your spirits into the afterlife, for you have lived and died with honor. Rest in peace in knowing I, along with your comrades here, will do everything in my power to find the cause of your needless sacrifice and deliver you justice."

[Sallera]

Watching the others from his heavily-shadowed perch on the rail of the forecastle, Ashley resembles a raven overseeing the battlefield as he sits cloaked and hooded, one leg tucked up beneath him. Ah, so we're making a performance out of this, are we? Is that a challenge, Blades? He rather doubts the young warrior had anything of the sort in mind, but he decides to speak up anyway. It's not as though I haven't had to perform this rite before, and while they may have been incautious fools, they still died for a cause they didn't choose. And I rather liked that channeler.

Low-pitched and resonant, his voice carries easily to the living and dead alike as he begins a variation of the rite he once performed as a captain himself. "The glimmer of the eyes lights the poor man's journey. You have lost that now; a misplaced marker stole your path and set you on the road to this untimely end. Bereft of light, descend now into darkness, yet walk on, lest the trail vanish behind you, for steel and silver alike can yet guide you home." A faint chime is followed by a brief flicker of light as something passes overhead and vanishes into the sea - a single silver coin, for the sharp-eyed.

[Ursus the Grim]

Dashivi arches an eyebrow at Ashley, but says nothing as the coin disappears into the night.

"Well said, both of you."

Without further word, she lifts the first fallen, gently and with great care, before passing it to Aarbos, who awaits on the gangplank. With a sigh, he pushes the body off the plank where it disappears into the sea below with an ungraceful splash. Few words are spoken as the ritual proceeds.

Roll Spot Checks.

[Sallera]

Familiar with the rites of the Traveler, are you, Captain? Ashley continues watching the black seas from his perch as the others deal with the corpses; manual labour is not his strong point. Worry not, I would not curse the dead; it was an answer for their deaths I promised. Incidental to our own goals, perhaps, but suitable nonetheless.

Spot: [roll0]

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young warrior watches in silence as the rite continues. He reflects on the losses he has had in his life. Short as it was, he remembers a lot, and there is a hint of sadness in his face, which he hopefully masks in the darkness.

How many more must be lost? But truly, is there any other way? I myself know only of the blade.

Spot: [roll0]

[Ursus the Grim]

The ritual is concluded, and sadness lingers in the air for several minutes. The sound of gentle waves is the only noise. As the silence becomes uncomfortable, a new sound breaks the stillness of the night. The sound of wood creaking, waves breaking, from a place other than the Raven beneath your feet. Like a ghost, a vessel appears from the darkness. The ship itself is very solid, if significantly smaller than the Raven. Shadowy figures move about it, and no light can be seen. Moving more swiftly than the Raven, it pulls alongside and matches her speed. A gangplank is quickly hustled over and several figures come across and into the light where they can be better seen.

One, a lightly clad human male, slight of shape, lingers to one side of the plank with his hand on the hilt of his rapier. Another, a silent, eight-foot tall automaton, towers on the other side. Almost as imposing is the humanoid shape that steps off and stands in front, a six-foot humanoid clad in full-plate (on the high seas, no less) and bearing an emblem of the Silver Flame on his chest. One remains on the plank above the banister, an elven male with dark hair and red robes. It is he who speaks first.

"We seek two answers, and then we may leave in peace. Is Tynhon Suntouched aboard this vessel, and is the captain also aboard?"

[Sallera]

Dear me, there is no end of boarding parties tonight. Are we going to have to deal with this every day? And Tynhon? An odd name, if ever I've heard one... but I think Sage might have called himself that. And if I recall correctly, the Flame is not fond of shapeshifters.

Not bothering to move from his perch, Ashley replies from the half-darkness of the rail. Elevation was a small, subconscious indicator of authority in an unknown situation, but he knew how to exploit his moments. "I know no Suntouched, I'm afraid. Is she part of your order?" He watches for Dashivi's reaction more than the newcomers'; if she wanted this irritating boat gone, he could probably manage that.

Bluff: [roll0] (+10 from Conceal Thoughts) Technically, he's telling the truth, since Tynhon never mentioned the name Suntouched, but since he has a pretty good idea who they mean, it probably still counts as a bluff.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The sight of another ship catches the young man's attention, and when the gangplank is hoisted, he moves himself between the newcomers and his companions. He tries to think if he knows someone named Tynhon, but he could not remember. It could be one of these men that boarded along with him, but with everything that has happened, keeping track of their names was the last thing on his mind.

He does not speak; he waits for their visitor's response to his other human companion's question, as well as if Dashivi would present herself. He does not know the whole story of what has happened tonight, but he knows he could trust the captain enough to fight for her should she wish it this time, and Taka readies himself to act accordingly.

[Ursus the Grim]

Aarbos, the Sage, and Lurk tensen, the Sage visibly more so as he takes several steps back. Currently in his human shape, he does not speak. Nor does Dashivi, lingering further back. She scans the boarders, seemingly calculating something, or perhaps coming up with a plan. Vurik and Faerneg step in front of her, the draconic kin protective of their new captain.

"My order? I'm afraid not. You see, he is . . ."

The elf is cut off by his armored companion.

"The knave lies. That's the one, the human with the tattoos. Back by the kobold. Turn the werecreature over and we will leave peacefully."

He seems to be addressing Ashley, though he does not move his head to look at him. His eyes under his helm are surely locked upon the Sage.

GuyFawkes
The automaton turns its 'head' to look towards you, who are now nearest to it. It does not make further movement, but you are keenly aware that it fully senses you.


Keld Denar

Prince Mika has been waiting in the seas near Regalport for an unusual amount of time, and earlier today she informed the crew that she was going to take the grandest of prizes. Word had reached her ears of a conflict between the Blue Raven and Regalport's Seadragons, and with the Raven crippled and the captain likely dead, she was going to take the magnificent theurgeme.

You have made your way to the top deck. Much of the crew is still below, but you know the ones up top. The 'leader' is Feralia, Prince Mika's advisor, tactician, and scribe. He is a wizard, and skilled in the arts of enchantments. The slim blond man is Viskus, a vicious man hidden beneath a cool exterior, technically Mika's second mate aboard this vessel, and an enforcer when she does not desire to exert herself. The stranger in Full Plate you do not know by name, but you know he is a guest aboard this vessel, informed by Feralia that they were hunting fugitives, among them a shapechanger.

However, there is one more aboard the vessel, shrouded in darkness and hidden from the crew of the Raven. Prince Mika herself watches the proceedings from behind the main mast of her ship. She has an arrow notched in her longbow, dripping with a poison, no doubt. She does not seem to be pleased.

Feel free to mark yourself on the google doc if you move within the light visible to the others. A letter is fine, but I can also make a token if you provide me with an image.

[Sallera]

"Oh, is he? You could have just said so." It comes out sounding bored, although there is a hint of irritation behind it as well. Damn it, Sage, if you're on the run from someone, why were you standing in the open? At least they seem to have assumed I'm the captain, for now. Still, the lion didn't seem much like a werecreature, despite the shapeshifting. He controlled it, for one, and hadn't he said the human form was not his natural one? That seemed a bit backward from the stories.

With a sigh, Ashley waves a half-seen hand at the boarders. "Well? Aren't you going to explain why you should have him? I'm not in the habit of turning crew members over without cause, even if they did just join, so make your case."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taking the role of the captain, I see. Quick thinking. He eyes the captain in the corner of his eye, and noticing that she does not have any signs of taking over, he looks back at their visitors. I shall play along with it, then. But that elf there seems to know who he's looking for. Perhaps it is better to let him do the talking. With the dragonborn and the draggone taking care of covering Dashivi, he moves to the right a little to position himself between the newcomers and Smart-mouth while eyeing the automaton, who seems to be looking at him too intently. He is careful not to show any aggression; he is confident in his drawing if ever he needs his weapons anyway.

[Ursus the Grim]

The armored figure shifts impatiently, his free hand drifting to the hilt of his longsword, his other being slung into a heavy steel shield. His tone becomes irritated and condescending, as if he is explaining a natural law to a child.

"Don't play daft. Even here amongst the pirates, you uncivilized lot cannot claim total ignorance. In eight thirty-two, the Keeper declared lycanthropy, and all such diseases, a curse of the soul and a blight upon the people to be purged. In pursuit of this grim but noble task, a band of my brothers took up arms against this white lion's accursed clan. They responded with unholy force, slaying all but a few, and the church has declared anathema on these monsters. As long as Tynhon lives, the curse can be passed on, and neither I nor the spirits of my slain comrades may rest. Deliver him to me, or you endanger the entirety of your crew."

"You fool. You know nothing!"
Tynhon can no longer hold his tongue, and his features are contorted into anger, a feeling that is somewhat unexpected. "Your ignorant church assumed we were something we weren't and attacked my people, who were at no fault. Now you bitterly seek revenge on those who defended themselves. Leave the others alone, but I will not let you take me!"

Despite Ashley's best efforts, tensions are rising. Lurk melds into the shadows, disappearing from view. Dashivi swears under her breath and everybody's hands begin to move towards their weapons, though none have yet been drawn.

[Sallera]

"Enough, Sage!" Ashley snaps, finally hopping down from the rail. "You will not endanger the crew or the ship by turning this into a battle." Dragon Below, I hope they trust me enough by now to give me a few seconds of doubt, or this isn't going to be fun. Withdrawing Tharivol's letter and a long quill from his cloak, he starts down the stairs toward the armoured knight, holding the paper up thoughtfully as though it were a crew dossier.

"I am tangentially aware of the Keeper's decree; you make a valid point. I admit to having no personal experience with lycanthropes, so it is not a subject on which I hold any expertise; in that I defer to your order." Tapping the quill against the page, he draws it across the paper as though striking out a name - then flicks it over the side of the Raven onto the other ship, whereupon an alarming creak issues from the gangplank as the smaller ship suddenly slows dramatically.

"Unfortunately, the Church holds no authority on the seas. Ship's leaving, men; best get across that gangplank before it snaps."

Feather Token (anchor)!

I really hope I'm not presuming too much here; these actions should only take a few seconds, but if he'd be interrupted regardless, just let me know where I ought to revise from.

Edit: Also, I realized after looking at the map that the distance between the ships may or may not be a problem. If it is, he'll just palm a power stone along with the quill and use Far Hand to flick it over there, suppressing the display as usual.

[Ursus the Grim]

As Ashley finishes his speech, the blond man chuckles and speaks for the first time.

"Hah. You thought he came out here without the blessings of a Prince?"

The templar does not lash out as Ashley taunts the boarders, though he surely must be doing his best not to strike first. Not until noise erupts on the other ship do they move into action. Wood can be heard splintering from the gangplank as the thrown token disappears, working its magic on the smaller craft. An arrow shrieks out of the darkness towards the 'captain', a gruff female voice chasing after it.

"Dark Six take ye curs! Feralia, get over here and do something about this!"

The robed one, who you can safely assume is Feralia, shouts some foreign words and waves a hand at towards the group to the aft of the Raven before leaping back to his side of the gangplank with a scowl. Just as he does so, the gangplank gives and falls into the ocean in pieces, leaving his three companions aboard the Raven. Its quite obvious that communications have failed, and they each react in kind. Not all aboard the Raven are prepared for a fight, though. The one known as Sage, now revealed as the shapeshifter Tynhon, collapses to the deck, where he resumes the shape of the lion he first wore aboard.

Roll Initiative.

Sallera
The arrow whistles towards Ashley from the darkness on the other ship.
[roll0] to hit for [roll1] damage. If it strikes true, you need to make a DC 14 Fortitude save or take [roll2] points of Strength damage.

[Sallera]

The arrow flies true, striking Ashley in the chest - or rather, it would have, had it not become stuck in midair an inch before reaching him. Plucking it from the air, Ashley inspects the point casually before tossing it overboard. "Your Prince offers some poisonous blessings, it seems. So, then. If the Flame is only here at your sufferance, who is it I am dealing with?"

Initiative: [roll0]

[Ursus the Grim]

Aarbos positions himself in front of the now helpless Tynhon as the armored man barrels towards him, the blond moving forward as well. The longsword whips out and digs into Aarbos' neck. Aarbos stumbles backwards, clutching his neck, but remains on his feet.

Dashivi reaches for a crossbow at her side as a field of multicolored rays and hues spring up around her. You hear Faerneg complement her on the choice, considering the "pointy things in the air".

"You're dealing with a Prince, THE Prince, Mika Rockface of the Cloudreavers, and blessed of the Devourer. That dog belongs to Brother Gideon, but the rest belongs to me."

[Sallera]

"Oh, so I am. Hello, Mika." Leaning on the rail, Ashley withdraws a wand and flicks a glob of adhesive slime at the construct, although from all outward appearances he is paying very little attention to the fight. "What brings you so close to Seadragon territory? I imagine the Flame paid for their ride, but surely you didn't come all this way just for the Raven."

Draw dorje, Entangling Ectoplasm, 5ft step north.
Ranged touch: [roll0]
On a hit, it's entangled for 5 rounds.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

From near the mast, the small man with the large Glaive begins singing. Its not a graceful sweeping ballad like they sing in Thrane, nor an epic like they sing in Valanar. It's a sailor's sea chanty with simple meter and even simpler sceme. The first verse seems to center around the plight of a sailor who is trying to play the flute despite the fact that he lost his lips in an accident.


Cast Inspirational Boost, then standard action to being bardic music for Inspire Courage (+3 to hit/damage/saves vs fear). Only affecting the crew of the Blue Raven, not any members of Prince Mika's ship.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young man combs his hands through his hair as the situation escalates into an exchange of poisoned arrows, flying gooey substances, and swords.

Suddenly it feels I am not too far from home.

He closes his eyes and breathes deep. The sudden voice carried in the air, a song, somehow makes him feel calm and helps him clear his mind: he does not care for purpose, nor edicts of some organization he vaguely knows, nor some pirate lord. Right now all he sees is the need to protect his new-found comrades, or whatever they are to him.

He opens his eyes and quickly scans the deck. To the right, the automaton with the other human and the captain to his left. To the far left, Aarbos and his dog are hounded by the full-plated man and the blond. In an instant he makes his decision. In a quick series of movement he crossed the deck towards the full-plated man with his daisho in both hands, wrapped with a visible aura. With the momentum of his charge, he swings down heavy on the full-plated man.

Swift Action Ki Strike activation (-1 ki point for +1 enhancement, 4/6 ki points left)
Charge attack: [roll0] (+2 for flanking)
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

AC: 17

[Ursus the Grim]

A single arrow flies over the Raven, noticeable by Ashley but clearly flying wide, even as the entangling psionic substance hinders the automaton's movement. Neg moves towards Ashley, positioning himself to blast the construct with his frosty breath.

Vurik springs into action, taking to the air and starting to circle towards the fray. The automaton lifts its head, seemingly tracking the beast's movement, until it raises an arm and points towards the airborne creature. Vurik lets loose several odd barking noises and seems to lose control, dipping down towards the water, and the automaton turns away, ignoring Ashley and Neg as it advances towards the melee to the aft, its movements hampered by the ectoplasm.

Taka's telling blow leaves a major gash in the templar's side, distracting him briefly. Aarbos rattles his helmet with a smash from the pommel of his bastard sword, further disoriented the knight. Off balance and wounded, Griever the hound leaps atop him, hackles raised and teeth gnashing at his throat.

The blonde man ignores his 'comrade''s plight, instead grabbing Tynhon and dragging him backwards, one hand on the scruff of his neck, the other holding the blade of the rapier to his throat. Meanwhile, Dashivi levels her crossbow and fires at the automaton, but the bolt bounces ineffectually off its armor.

Sallera
Disregard these rolls, you're safe. ;)
[roll0][roll1]
[roll2][roll3]

Keld Denar
The wizard Feralia puts his hands to the center mast of the ship, closes his eyes and begins to speak words of arcane origin. Markus hears a light thud towards the fore of the ship, but can't see in the darkness what it was.

Mika glares at you with rage in her eyes as her bow is plucked from her hands. Reaching for Greatsword over her back, she grits her teeth.

"What's the meaning of this, boy?"

[Sallera]

Ashley watches the arrow fly overhead with an amused expression, tucking the letter away and drawing a second wand as he strolls aftward along the rail. Peering through the night, he attempts to get a better look at the deck of the other vessel. "That was a bit off, Mika. Can't you talk politics and shoot people at the same time?"

[Keld Denar]

Markus

I am not your "boy". I am not your "slave". I'm not your anything. I am Markus. You have to more sway over me! With that, Markus grabs the bow from the ground, turns, and runs to the edge of the ship.

Standard action, pick up the bow, move action, move (including jump) to the edge of the ship and leap to the Raven. This is a "standing" long jump since I don't have enough space to get a 20' start. DC20 jump check.

[roll0]
Success, the dice LOVE me today!

Swift action, activate Badge of Valor upping the Bardic Music value from +3 to +4.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

With the hound taking down the full-plated warrior, he looks at Aarbos and looks at some of the blood from the longsword strike earlier. "Are you fine, sir?" he asks before dashing to the side of the blond dragging the limp form of Tynhon. He brings down his katana, swinging up and targeting the blond's rapier, and tries to wrest it from him.

Charge Disarm Attempt: [roll0] (+4 from Markus, + 2 from charge)
AC: 17
Ki Strike: last round acti

[FuryOfMetal]

Seeing Vurik spiral down, spluttering and failing, Neg jogs up to the Automaton and shouts Why are you doing this! before breathing a thick, clinging smog over it's body. If it can just point at something to disable it then I dread to think what it can do up close. I'd better stop it reaching everybody else.

[roll0] DC17 relfex for half.
Entangling Exhalation, entangled for [roll1] rounds.

[Ursus the Grim]

The ships, though the smaller had fallen behind, appear to be moving abreast again, the smaller vessel's deceleration having been negated somehow. A loud splash can be heard over the roar of battle.

Taka's charge is not ignored, and the blonde man whips the rapier toward Taka, taking advantage of the opening presented. It goes wide, however, and the rapier flies from the man's hand. Before Taka can strike again, though, he collapses in much the same way Tynhon had. The blond man snatches his rapier back up and continues dragging Tynhon along the deck.

"Anyone try that again and I skin this cat!"

Neg succesfully draws the construct's attention, and it staggers forward through the ectoplasm and solid fog hampering its movements to swing with a mighty steel fist. Aarbos and Griever are soon at Neg's side, however, hoping to aid against the clockwork threat, and Dashivi is not far behind.

A ragged-looking fellow with a glaive in one hand and a longbow in the other clutches to the side of the ship, hauling himself up.

Sallera
You see a dwarven woman stumble into the light as something small attacks her from the shadows. She does not answer you. It looks like the lizardfolk that was previously on board the Raven. He lands two quick slashes on the dwarf, but she responds with a vicious overhand blow from a greatsword that nearly cuts him in half. He's still on his feet, but obviously regretting his decision to play the hero. Nearer to the edge of the ship, the speaker from earlier incants some more indecipherable words, and waves yet again towards Tynhon.

GuyFawkes
I don't see Improved Disarm as a feat for you, so the Attack of Opportunity is going to be rolled first. If he hits your AC 17, your attempt is disrupted. I will update the post depending on the outcome.
[roll0] for [roll1] damage.

Regardless, you need a DC 17 Will Save or fall asleep.

FuryOfMetal
This is taking into account the myriad penalties accrued.
[roll2] for [roll3] bludgeoning damage.

[FuryOfMetal]

After taking a large pounding thunk to the ribs , Neg decides to back off having already slowed it down and slow the other foes present. He had little fear of being followed, the ectoplasm on the Automaton looked so thick it would hold him long enough for other threats to be cleaned up allowing everybody to focus on the obvious danger this metal being posed. Neg could already see the thick, viscous slime starting to pour into the joints of the Automaton, inflicting further damage.

Entangling exhalation, 15ft cone with the edges being where I drew them. Allies have already been protected by Endure Exposure so they're safe from friendly fire.
[/roll]1d6[/roll] fire damage, DC17 for half.
rounds.

Automaton takes [1d6 and has 3 rounds left.

[Sallera]

Leaving the slime-covered construct to the others, Ashley continues along the rail, flicking another glob of ectoplasm at the irritating spellcaster. Really, what does Lurk hope to accomplish over there? If you're going to go for an assassination, knife the spellslinger, not the Prince famed for her martial skill.

He stops next to the hanging man with an amiable smile. "Your boss isn't very talkative, is she? What about you? Boarding passes expired a few minutes ago; am I going to have to glue you to the side of the ship?"

More Entangling Ectoplasm on Feralia.
Ranged touch: [roll0]
On hit, entangled for 5 rounds.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

With as scoundrelly of a wink as Markus can muster while hanging onto the side of the ship, Markus disappears in a flash of astral light. Appearing behind the woman, he immediately drops the bow and rushes at the blond man with the rapier. Of all the crew members on the ship, Markus hated this man the most (next to Mika, of cources). His smug attitude made Markus' skin crawl with contempt. Concealing his rage, he charges toward the battle.

Hey Blondie, careful behind you! Markus calls out as he sprints toward the man. Whipping his glaive around, Markus twists it at the last instant, attempting to drive the blade in between two of the smug man's ribs, hoping the surprise would catch him off guard.


Dim Hop 10' to the right and 1 square up, drop the bow, and charge.

Power Attack for 2
[roll0] [roll1] including my +3 from Leading the Charge (I did forget my +4 from Inspire Courage, so this should be 17 damage.)

I should be 20' south of Neg, and 10' left and 5' south from Blondie, since I'm charging with a reach weapon.

[Ursus the Grim]

Mika's ship, no longer slowed, seems to be picking up speed. It will soon outpace the Raven, from the looks of it.

The construct, disturbingly, seems to self-repair as fast as Neg's adhesive breath corrodes it. Though still fettered by the myriad substances upon it, it manages to deliver a crushing blow to Aarbos, which drops him hard. A second swing is easily dodged by the hound, but the dog fails to make any progress nipping at the automaton's shins. Dashivi swiftly moves to Aarbos' side, mumbling something to herself as she waves a hand over his head, ducking the creature's flailing arms.

Marcus' swift movement catches the blond man by surprise and him swears loudly as the blade finds purchase, missing his backbone by mere inches. He turns his head, proper anger in his eyes.

"I warned you scum. . . you! You ungrateful son of a hag! I should have flayed you long ago. See how your new friends treat you with their mate's blood on your hands."

It seems to happen in slow-motion. He tosses Tynhon's prone form to the side, where the lion-creature rolls onto his back. Ducking another swing from Marcus' blade, he pulls the rapier back and drives it under Tynhon's chin, splattering blood and staining the majestic Sage's mane a crimson. The deed done, he smirks as he returns his attention to Marcus and Neg.

Sallera
You see the fray on Mika's ship continue. Though Lurk makes several gashes on the dwarf's face, she seems to shrug them off in her anger before catching him with a backswing. Its clear he doesn't have the staying power to last much longer, and his eyes dart around, seeking an escape route.

The mage, Feralia, moves along up the stairs and attempts to cast another spell, but with the ectoplasm slowing his movements, nothing seems to happen.

Meanwhile something large is splashing in the water beneath you, drifting past as the ships continue forward.

Initiative and Map

Markus, Taka, Ashley, Neg
Lurk, Mika, Feralia, Vurik, Construct, Aarbos and Griever, Blond, Dashivi

Map (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1G_K6bQTGyUTHpu0trzCeF99Lo3ifGNvAx1TXxQ4FaN4/edit?authkey=CPiY3-oD)

[Sallera]

"Well, well. This is starting to look familiar," Ashley says, almost laughing as the man winks and flits past him to attack his former crewmate. "Nicely played, Cloud."

He is less impressed with Blondie's actions, and something resembling actual anger flickers over his face. "That, however, was unwise." Striding forward, he flicks the other wand toward the man, and although what issues forth appears to be nothing more than a sudden line of swirling mist, flesh freezes solid where it touches.

Energy Ray (cold) from the dorje at Blondie.
Ranged touch: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Twisting his blade as he seperates it from the corpse of the cold dead human, Markus spits on him and then moves up to the construct, leaping up and bringing the glaive down in an overhead chop. The blade shimmers slightly as is cuts cleanly through the air with a whistle.


Swift action SPIT ON THE CORPSE. Move to where the map shows (30 move, 4 diagonals), initiate Emerald Razor on the construct, PA for 4.

[roll0] vs touch AC [roll1]


Statblock

Markus Kelet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=340189)
M N Human Bard4/Warblade1, Level 5, Init +0, HP 21/35, Speed
AC 15, Touch 10, Flat-footed 15, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4, Base Attack Bonus 4, Power Points 2/2
+1 Glaive +7 (1d10+4, x3)
Longsword +6 (1d8+3, 19-20)
Dagger +6 (or +4) (1d4+2, 19-20)
+1 Mithril Chain Shirt (+5 Armor)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 14
Condition Psionic Focus
Inspire Courage +4

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young man opens his eyes and is bewildered why he is seeing things sideways, and he can feel the cold wood of the deck on his cheek. What happened here? He asks himself, but the sound of steel clashing with steel refreshes his memory on what's happening.

He quickly picks himself up and notices the blond man lying near him, as well as the Sage. He notices both are bloodied, and immediately he checks for Tynhon's vitals.

Heal check: [roll0]

[FuryOfMetal]

Seeing his short term ally fall to the ground, an apparently mortal wound to the neck, his feelings are mixed. Though they'd only fought together a short time and made no sort of emotional bond, they had bonded through battle which forges very sudden but intimate bonds between those invovled. Revenge. Revenge was what mattered right now and hopefully Tynhon would survive anyway. Stepping into a deep and powerful stance towards Tynhon's would-be killer, Neg forces a particularly potent breath of fire and focuses it into one continuous stream to subject this blonde woman to as much burning wrath as possible.

30ft line of fire at Blondie, though the extra few feet are going to waste of course.
[roll0] DC17 for half.
She also takes [roll1] residual damage and will do for 3 more rounds.

Automaton takes [roll2] residual damage, 2 rounds left.

[Ursus the Grim]

Death comes to swiftly for the monstrous man, as Ashley's and Neg's assaults ravage his body, already teetering near death due to Markus' mighty charge. His flesh is seared and frostbitten and bloodied as he falls, quite dead indeed.

Though the construct had seemed to be almost unscratched, despite the constant efforts of the crew, Markus' glaive seems to cut through the thick steel plates like a razor through paper, and the gash remains for several seconds before beginning to seal back up.

After Markus joins the melee, a bolt flies from a crossbow now in Prince Mika's hands, going quite wide and burying itself deep in the deck a yard away. Her human companion seems lost in some procedure, contending with the ectoplasm clinging to his clothes and limbs. The construct, unphased, deals an unfeeling kick to the hound as it steps forward to swing at Markus.

Dashivi lets out an string of unfortunate words relating to mothers, sailors, and year-old pickles as she sprints to Tynhon's side, reciting a prayer and rubbing one of her pins between two fingers.

Everyone's entitled to a Spellcraft check, I suppose, if you really want to know what she's casting.

GuyFawkes
As far as Taka can tell, Tynhon is not breathing. It is difficult to be certain, as he is unfamiliar with his race and anatomy. Things do not look good though.

Keld Denar
Markus gets an attack of opportunity as the construct steps towards him. Unless you pull some shenanigans and evade it, here's his retaliation.
[roll0] for [roll1]


Initiative and Map

Markus, Taka, Ashley, Neg
Mika, Feralia, Vurik, Construct, Griever, Dashivi

Map (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1G_K6bQTGyUTHpu0trzCeF99Lo3ifGNvAx1TXxQ4FaN4/edit?authkey=CPiY3-oD)

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Believing Tynhon to be gone, blood rushes to the young warrior's head. He stands up, clutching both his weapons so tightly his knuckles whiten. With the blondie responsible for harming Tynhon down, he scans and focuses on the lone target on deck: the automaton. Before he does anything, he turns to the other human.

"Hey Wands. Do me a favor and shut down that sorry excuse of a prince, will you?"

As soon as he speaks his last word, he is gone. In one split second he passes Aarbos and a long, glowing, curved blade can be seen swinging down heavily, culminating in a loud clang from the clash of steel with steel.

Activate ki strike: 1 round remaining (3/6 ki left)
Power Attack: -4
Power Charge Attack: [roll0]
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] + [roll3](if crit)
AC: 17

[Sallera]

"Why, of course," Ashley replies, with a mock bow and a flourish. Striding back over to the side of the vessel, he nods to the newcomer in passing. "That's a fine edge you've got, Cloud. Looks like Blades has some competition."

Reaching the rail, he briefly scans the other ship again. Did Lurk get away, or is he bleeding to death in the dark somewhere? He flicks his wand at Mika, and another glob of ectoplasm sprays across the gap. If nothing else, it at least ought to get her to finally listen to him. "How about it, Mika? Blondie's dead, Cloud's switched sides, the metal man there has about ten seconds to live, and your Flame pet's done his job, even if he died in the process. If you keep this up, it'll be us taking your ship rather than the other way around. Shall we call it a draw?"

More Entangling Ectoplasm, on Mika this time.
Ranged touch: [roll0]
On hit, entangled for 5 rounds.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Taking a step back, Markus swings again with his glaive before disappearing in a flash of smoke away from the construct. Names Markus, not "Cloud"...


AoO
[roll0] [roll1]

5' step back so I can use the glaive.
Initiate Saphire Nightmare Blade. Expend Psionic Focus to take 15 on concentration (25 vs AC) which should make him flatfooted. PA for 2.
[roll2] [roll3] plus [roll4] damage.

Swift action Dim Hop to current location marked on the map.

[FuryOfMetal]

I agree with my lanky friend here, it would be wise for all involved, though mainly you, if you'd call of this mess. Make no mistake however, we are all willing and able to cut you down and take your vessel.

Ready action to breath on the automaton
[roll0] DC17 for half.
[roll1] residual damage, 2 rounds left.

Keld your build looks alot of fun :smalltongue:

[Ursus the Grim]

Taka's blade and Markus' first swing glance off the clockwork soldier's armor, but Markus' second swing digs deep.

Mika dodges the ectoplasm with a mirthless laugh, firing back at Ashley with a less gentle weapon. Faerneg unleashes his furious breath, but the construct dodges most of it.

"By my count, you're down three crew members and a pet. We've lost one and a toy. Let's see if we can trade more of your lives for another toy."

As she finishes speaking, a cloud of winged shapes, apparently thousands of very angry, very confused bats sprouts up around Neg and Aarbos. A swear from the deck indicates that things did not go as well as hoped, and the mage attempts to cast another spell, but seems to lose that one as well.

The clockwork brings a boot down on the hound again as it advances towards Taka this time, and this time Griever stays down. A heavy steel gauntlet races towards the man's head.

Dashivi fires a bolt at the construct, but it bounces off its broad back. For the first time recently, she speaks aloud.

"This is a damn fine crew I have, on a damn fine ship. You're a damned ugly rock eater, Mika, and you've got a nasty end in store for you!"

Mika's ship seems to be gaining speed and outpacing the Raven now.

Sallera
1 crossbow bolt, [roll0] for [roll1] damage.

FuryOfMetal
The bats leave multiple tiny bites on you, wounds that don't seem to be clotting correctly. Neg takes [roll4] damage and must make a fortitude save versus a DC 11or be nauseated for a round.

GuyFawkes
The construct swings, an attack of [roll2] for [roll3] damage.

Initiative and Map

Markus, Taka, Ashley, Neg
Mika, Feralia, Vurik, Construct, Griever, Dashivi

Map (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1G_K6bQTGyUTHpu0trzCeF99Lo3ifGNvAx1TXxQ4FaN4/edit?authkey=CPiY3-oD)

[/QUOTE]

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Rushing forward, Markus swings his glaive around at the construct. Maneuver completed, Markus steps back into a familiar combat rhythm to match the tempo of his lewd yet uplifting chanty.


Charge 15' to current position, attack on the construct. PA for 2.

[roll0] [roll1]

Swift action to refresh maneuvers after attacking.

[Sallera]

Ashley grunts as the crossbow bolt takes him solidly in the gut, dropping to one knee and out of Mika's sight for a moment. A few seconds later, he rises, slightly bloodier but with both the bolt and the hole gone, and his smile is less pleasant but just as wide. "You should be more gracious when someone hands you an opportunity, Mika. Toting around a barely-competent wizard and crew members who betray you at the first opportunity, your reputation is looking rather unearned at the moment."

Healing Belts save lives. Tangled Web's down at the moment, but I believe that hit takes Ashley down to 3hp, so using all 3 charges.
Heal: [roll0]

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Failing to make a scratch on the massive armor plating, Taka tries again, this time with both his weapons.

Full Attack

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

AC: 19

[FuryOfMetal]

Seeing the layer of viscous ectoplasmic fluid thinning on the constructs armor, Neg renews it, spewing a thin jet of what appears to be burning oil or stomach juices that hits his target directly in the chest.

Sorry, didn't realise it was waiting on me, had a busy weekend for once.

Entangling Exhalation, [roll0] DC17, [roll1] rounds of residual damage. I have one round left of the residual damage aswell, [roll2]

[Ursus the Grim]

Mika scoffs in response to Ashley's taunts.

"My apologies. I hadn't expected a band of sellswords to sign on with a fugitive. I would have been more prepared if I had known that. Come, Feralia, we depart for now."

The two disappear belowdecks, and the ship continues to pick up speed.

The construct is struck several times, unable to avoid a square strike from Taka and Markus each due to the entanglement, but it remains mobile, swinging twice at Taka this time, even as the bat swarm spreads towards him.

It sounds like something somewhat large is clawing its way up the side of the ship to the aft.

GuyFawkes
[roll0] for [roll1] damage.
[roll2] for [roll3] damage.

The swarm deals [roll4] damage and you need to make a DC 11 Fortitude save (allowable in OOC) or be nauseated for a turn.

FuryOfMetal
Having escaped the swarm, Neg realizes that the myriad of wounds inflicted on him have continued to bleed, and he suffers an additional 1 hp. It will stop when and if your vigorous aura (or any other magical healing) comes into effect.

Initiative and Map
Markus, Taka, Ashley, Neg
Mika, Feralia, Vurik, Construct, Griever, Dashivi

Map (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1G_K6bQTGyUTHpu0trzCeF99Lo3ifGNvAx1TXxQ4FaN4/edit?authkey=CPiY3-oD&pli=1)

[Sallera]

Ashley sighs dramatically, contributing a bright charge of focused electricity to the flurry of strikes on the construct. "Always has been a troublesome Prince, that one."

Energy Ray (electricity) from the dorje.
Ranged touch: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young warrior does not even bat an eyelid when the swarm of bats surrounds him, nor when a steel arm connects to his side. "Not enough!" he shouts at the automaton and delivers a double thrust at its midsection.

Power Attack for -2

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Nimbly strafing around the construct, Markus runs to the rail of the ship. Leaping up and planting both feat on the rail momentarily, Markus uncoils like a spring, twisting around and bringing the glaive down on the construct. With full power, he drives the blade of the weapon downward with his full weight and momentum.

Finesse is for CHUMPS!

Move 25' to flank with Taka, next to the rail of the ship. Map updated. Initiate Emerald Razor and PA for 4.

[roll0] vs touch AC [roll1]

[FuryOfMetal]

Neg sprays yet more fiery breath upon the body of the automaton, frustration growing inside him over the absurd endurance of this machine. The flames catch on the thick fluid now sticking to it's body, orange fire licking around the joints and curves.

[roll0] DC17.
[roll1] residual.

[Ursus the Grim]

The construct, though obviously quite durable, is no match for the party's combined efforts, Ashley's electrical blast unbalances it, and the warriors make their blows. Staggering, it is unable to avoid the brunt of Neg's breath weapon, just enough to make it collapse.

Just as suddenly as it appears, the bat swarm vanishes, as if it had never been there. Vurik reappears, thumping angrily down the stairs at the aftcastle, soaking wet, and clearly very unhappy.

"Kischek mer'tha voda mik el."

Dashivi seems preoccupied with Aarbos' wounds, though not too much to voice her anger and frustration.

"Damn them to Khyber. Had I a full crew and a healthy Raven I'd chase them down and flay them alive."

FuryOfMetal
Vurik speaks in what is, oddly, an apologetic tone.
"I'm sorry. I do not know what happened. I remembered a crude joke my father once spoke."

Map
Map (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1G_K6bQTGyUTHpu0trzCeF99Lo3ifGNvAx1TXxQ4FaN4/edit?authkey=CPiY3-oD&pli=1)

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Markus thumps the prone construct once more for good measure. Some things don't like to stay dead.


PA for 4
[roll0] [roll1]

[Sallera]

Ashley's wands vanish into his cloak as soon as the construct drops, and he turns to the rail, fixing the form and details of the departing ship in his memory. "As pleasant as it would be to see the Principalities rid of her, I'm just as happy to avoid crossing blades. Despite what I said earlier, her reputation is not unearned. Of course, I assume she'll be back after us sooner or later, most likely with more ships. Something to keep an eye out for while we work on our other problems."

Moving over to the fallen shapeshifter, he kneels down for a look. "Sage isn't getting up again, I assume. Lurk was losing a match of oversized cutlery against Mika the last I saw of him, so unless he's managed to slip back aboard unnoticed again..." He pauses momentarily, glancing around to give the little lizard a chance for a dramatic entrance. "...well, he's probably stuck on her ship, if not dead himself."

Rising with a short shrug, he wanders over to the others, although he keeps his distance from Dashivi as she works. "Still, it could have been a fair bit worse, if not for our wandering Cloud of elegant violence here. Looking for a better job, I take it?"

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Ceasing his baudry tail of whimsy and promiscuity, Markus bows before the captain. Markus Kelet is my name, and if y'arn't slavers, then I'd gladly earn my bread on your ship, at least until we catch port again.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka sheaths his blade and quickly goes over to the Sage. "That is some skill you have there, Markus." He nods at hims as he passes him by.

Upon reaching Tynhon's still collapsed body, he looks at him and sighs. Another comrade lost. He waits as Dashivi tends to Aarbos, and when she does, he asks him.

"So, there is nothing more we can do for the Sage, Captain?"

[Ursus the Grim]

Dashivi shakes her head.

"Tynhon is gone, and I lack the skills to bring him back. I have protected his body from the elements. Perhaps we can find a healer beyond my caliber. The watchman is still alive, though knocked out. More than I can say for the mutt, though. I'm not too concerned about Lurk. He seemed like the type to find a way to survive."

She straightens herself up, and wipes bloodied hands on her faulds.

"Thanks, everyone. You, friend, I still don't have your name, but, you handled that marvelously. I apologize for holding my tongue. I wanted to know their purpose before I announced myself. Taka and Markus, was it? You've got some keen fighting instincts there, both of you, and with Neg's support, we've got a proper war party if we want it. But, we've got some cleaning up to do. Let's strip down those two wretches and dump them in the sea. They don't deserve the respect of a proper burial."

She moves back over to the blond man and kicks his rapier aside before nudging his body with a boot.

"Oy, Kelet. If you're as true to me as your fighting was here, I can't refuse you."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young man looks at the Sage's limp body with a hint of sadness. Even though he had not known hims for so long, but bonds made in battle truly are strong, and he could feel that he was a good man. Or whatever he was. He is partly relieved though as he looks at Aarbos, who turns out to be just fine.

Stooping down and picking up the Sage's body, he turns to the Dashivi. "Where do you suppose I could put him for now, Captain?"

[Sallera]

"No need for apologies, Captain. Dealing with such situations is what I was hired for, after all." Ashley waves away praise and comments on his anonymity alike, and moves to inspect the fallen paladin.

"Without any word of Sage's death getting out, we might even be bothered by the Flame again. Likely depends on how much of a fuss they made about it... I am curious as to whether he carried official sanction," he adds, sorting through the man's belongings. "Mika clearly has an excellent information network, if she was so swiftly informed about our status and Tynhon's presence despite being unwelcome in Regalport herself. That is not surprising in and of itself, but to have a Flame aboard already could indicate a potentially troublesome arrangement if this one was operating under orders."

[FuryOfMetal]

Neg looks at Dashivi and shuffes awkwardly, unsure how to approach the subject. Well, we could always ransom his body back to the flame.... It should stop them chasing us, if we give them their quarry. Maybe ransom was the wrong word, come to think of it. That doesn't sit too well with my conscience.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka looks at the dragonborn. "I do not know if you mean to say it or not, but I shall not stand to see this man being treated as a bargaining tool. He fought with us and has not shown any sign of betrayal. If the lot of you thinks it is better to do so, then I shall take my leave at the first sight of any ship or port."

[Ursus the Grim]

"Neg, I see your point, but I've to agree. We did not fight for him just to turn him over. We may bring him back yet, there is no reason to give up hope. I say we keep him, protect him, until we are forced to turn him over. For now, I think its more important that we replenish our crew and tend to the Raven. Unfortunately, I don't think its a keen time to return to Regalport, so we should consider other options, perhaps places a little unorthodox. I've also got to tend to the Raven."

At this point, she's pried off most of the blond man's equipment and is dragging him to the side of the vessel.

"Let's clean up this mess, bring Tynhon inside, and get something to eat while we talk."

Sallera
There isn't much on him, aside from the holy symbol engraved into his shield, his half-plate, and longsword. Ashley does find a small scroll case clasped to his side. Inside are two platinum pieces, and a tattered letter.

Brother Gideon

Day after day, the lycanthropic blight is forced one step closer to its extinction. However, it continues to find new forms as it tries to evade our righteous task. We are certain you recall the 'White Lion Incident' that claimed the life of too many of your comrades, and our brothers.

One going by the name 'Tynhon Suntouched' has strayed from the unholy pack, and has been seen in Regalport of the Lhazaar Principalities. We believe it seeks employment as a ship's oracle. Our contact will bring you to it. We would prefer it captured peacefully, but you are authorized to draw your blade if it seeks to flee or if others attempt to facilitate its escape.

We anticipate your contact with Alyssa Veranta at the Rockfall Inn in Cliffscrape.

[Sallera]

"Ah, here we are. Sanctioned after all, but it looks like the Flame had a contact in Mika's crew already; likely the wizard Feralia." Taking the coins from the scrollcase, Ashley inspects them carefully for any markings; it seemed a strange thing to keep with a letter if they served no other purpose. A sign for the contact? A thief would take the coins first... but it could be something as simple as deferred payment.

With a shrug, he puts the coins back in the case and tucks it away into one of his innumerable pockets. "Keep the paladin's sword somewhere safe. If we happen to pass through the vicinity of Cliffscrape, we may be able to get the Flame off our trail, at least." A pity I don't have anything written by Gideon's own hand, but it should still be possible to make this work without a forgery.

Search: [roll0]
Checking to see if the coins are marked.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka is pleased with what he hears from Dashivi. Maybe I have found a worthy lord just yet. He nods at her instructions and proceeds to go inside and find a suitable room for the Sage. After he secures his body with cloth, he goes back to the deck and helps with taking care of the other bodies.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Rather uncomfortable as his new "crew" discusses things of which he had no knowledge, Markus looks around the ship. Locating a bucket and a sponge, he quickly bends his back to cleaning the blood stains off the deck of the ship, whistling a lively tune to the cadance of his scrubbing.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Markus, was it? I see you are quite something with your weapon back there. Tell me, what made you jump ship and change masters?" he tries to start a conversation with the new 'member' while cleaning up.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

My ship was attacked, much the same as yours. Mika slaughtered my crewmates. For some reason, she spared me. I've been her slave ever since, entertaining her and working on her ship. Never once did I forget what she did...they were good men... Markus looks away for a moment, gazing at the horizon.

I don't ask for much. If you'll let me work aboard your ship, at least to the next port, I promise I'll earn my keep. One day my fate will cross hers, and next time, I vow to be ready at all costs.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Ahh. Revenge. Many a number I have known to live on hanging on to that very motivation. You could say I am very much among those men, so yes, we are pretty much the same. Eerily, so very similar." As his voice trails off, he is again reminded of the reasons why he is here in this very ship, at this very part of the world. So far away from the part of the world he has come to known for his yet short life.

"Well, since it appears we have incurred both the wrath of the Regalport and this Flame, I am guessing it will be quite a while that you will be here aboard the Raven. As such, I am looking forward to seeing your impressive skills in battle once again. Not that I am hoping for us to be facing battles regularly." The young man smiles and goes on with the work.

[Ursus the Grim]

With Brother Gideon and Mika's shipmate stripped down and tossed into the dark sea, Griever and Tynhon are laid down in a chamber in the Raven's prodigious forecastle, where Dashivi says a prayer to her god and to the spirits of the sea that his body is unharmed until they can call him back to it.

With heavy heart, she bids you all back below decks, to what appears to be the mess hall. It is surprisingly warm, well lit by silver candelabras, and a perfect number of settings await. There are a handful of tables, some with oversized chairs, but only the one is prepared. Silver dinnerware and chalices lay on an extravagant, sapphire-hued tablecloth. Several bottles of wine, mead, and water are within reach of each seat. Roasted eel, seared bass, and even a roast chicken or two seem to be the main course, with the more mundane offerings of potatoes, leeks, and various other fruits and vegetables. Dashivi takes a seat at the head of the table and gestures towards the far end as she stretches herself.

"My new crew, meet my old cook!"

The figure at the end is hunched over, hardly presenting a memorable figure, but you can tell she is an elf, a very old one at that, clad in a simple brown robe. She bows as Dashivi gestures and speaks. Her voice is not apologetic, or sniveling, as she explains the meal.

"You'll excuse me, Dashivi. The new crew is so few in number, and we have had quite the day. I thought it appropriate to bring out the nice sets, and much of the excess couldn't be eaten in time with so few mouths. Please, the lot of you, enjoy yourselves."

[Sallera]

After weeks on little more than trail rations and tea, the elegant dinner is a most welcome sight, and Ashley takes the place to Dashivi's right without hesitation. "A pleasure to meet you, and I'm sure I shall." Pouring a glass of wine, he sips it slowly as he waits for Dashivi to serve herself, then takes a small portion of each dish for himself. He eats silently and elegantly, displaying an obvious familiarity with what passes for high society in the Principalities (something that more often involves meals aboard ships than in dining halls), and waits until everyone is finished before speaking.

"My thanks, and compliments," he nods to the elven cook. "Now, on the matter of the morrow's path..." He glances at everyone at the table, then focuses on Dashivi. "We have, as I see it, two main options. Our main trouble is Regalport, of course, but I need more information before I can do anything meaningful about it. I have some plans for that, but they will take time to put into motion. In the meantime, we have Mika and the Flame to take care of; neither is likely to leave us alone while we deal with the rest. The safe path would be to head northwest, putting Rygar's waters between us and them while we resupply. I may be able to track her movements to some small degree, which would help us keep out of the way."

He smiles sharply, tilting his head forward. "The other option, of course, is to go Mika-hunting. Southwest at first to Cliffscrape, where I may be able to bluff or bargain the Flame into leaving without a corpse, and we can pick up what we need, then see if we can catch her alone. The downside, naturally, is that she can bring a lot more force to bear than we can, so if she anticipates retaliation rather than retreat, we might well be caught sooner than we'd like."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Upon entering what seems to be the dining hall, he removes his armor and his weapons with the exception of the tanto that Aarbos gave him, neatly placing them on top of his pack, which in turn he places on one of the nearby unused chairs, before proceeding to the lone table that was prepared for dining.

The sight of the lavish dining preparations makes the young man realize what a long night it has been, and all of a sudden he can feel his stomach grumble inside of him. He waits for Dashivi to motion for them to sit down before picking a seat and make himself comfortable. When she introduces the ship's cook, he stands and bows at her in acknowledgment.

"Thank you for the food."

He starts eating as soon as everyone does so, picking from each of the prepared dish. If one based it on his earlier actions, it would be surprising how the young warrior eats in a manner fitting for the preparation. Save perhaps for a few small details due to the difference in culture, he could easily be mistaken for a member of nobility with the elegance and etiquette he displays on the dining table.

He remembers how long it has been since he has sat down in a proper dining table such as this. In a ship perhaps, but proper still. His mind drifts again back to the past, which he realizes to be not that distant, but seemed so long ago. He eats well, knowing he has to get every ounce of strength he can get. Until that day.

When he finishes, he pours himself another glass of wine before sitting there and waiting for the others to finish. After everyone finishes, the man who had been fancy with his words since earlier starts to talk about the actions they could take from there in light of what has happened. He sips on his wine while listening, and when he is done, he says his own thoughts.

"Very wise assessment. But before I shall go further on this, I do not wish to continue discussing such important matter without even knowing the name of who I am speaking to. An introduction perhaps, before we start, as I believe our formal introductions, or whatever it was, was cut short in light of the unpredictable events. For those who have do not know my name yet, I am called Taka."

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Seeing food available for him for the first time in months that wasn't bread, water, or dried bean stew, Markus dives in. Not once for the entire 12 minutes it takes him to clear his plate (and a second) is his mouth ever not full. So lively is his mood that his foot taps out a beat and he hums softly while eating.

Plate clear (for the second time), he crosses his fork and knife across the plate and pushes his seat back slightly from the table, rubbing his slightly distented belly in a very contented fashion. I am Markus Kelet, formerly of Stormhome. I was Prince Mika's prisoner until about...an hour ago. Now I find myself once again a free man, and have no idea what to do with myself! Markus laughs at that last thought.

[Sallera]

Ashley very nearly rolls his eyes outright at the request, although he contents himself with a sharply raised eyebrow. "Dear me, never before have I met a crew so concerned with truenames. But I suppose if you insist, honour dictates that I show no false faces to the crew. I am Ashley Venaris, not to be confused with the late Prince of the same name."

[Ursus the Grim]

Dashivi eats sparingly, taking only a few items as the cook disappears into a back room. She listens intently, first to Ashley's suggestions and then to the introductions.

"Ah, yes, Markus, you may not know this. My name is Dashivi Blue, you are aboard the Blue Raven, and we are currently on the run due to a misunderstanding with Prince Rygar's Seadragons. You have jumped right into the fry pan, my friend."

She chuckles before taking a sip of her own amber beverage.

"Now, Ashley, now that I have a name, I have to say you're a sharp one. I must confess I'd like to draw blood from that dwarven bitch myself, but there are more pressing matters. As you said, the Silver Flame are at us, as is Regalport. I suspect it would be wisest to head to Cliffscrape to handle the less furious of our problems. But that doesn't solve our need for a crew, does it? I am not certain if news will reach them before we do, but in any case Cliffscrape is a shore fishing town, its young men are not as suited for long overseas voyages."

No matter how handsome some of them may be, she mumbles to herself.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young man smiles. "I can understand you apprehension of giving your name. Back where I came from, Ashley is a lady's name." He chuckles a bit and continues. "My apologies, I jest."

The young man straightens himself and his face goes back into its normal expression. "Now, going back to the matter at hand. By now, news of what happened would have spread among the authorities at Regalport, and that Mika would, by the time we make a move, have at least gathered more men, and it would not matter guessing if she expects us to attack her or retreat; that woman will not wait for that, she will take the offensive. Taking out Mika herself is indeed a good plan, but it does not guarantee that the rest of her crew will not hunt us down after that. And that will as well mark our last location, which will then be spread to the rest of them who are after us."

He pauses a bit before finishing his case. "So my point here is it is best for us to lay low for a while and get more men while keeping track of information on our pursuers and find an opportune moment to strike back."

[Sallera]

"Your homeland is rather restrictive, is it not?" Ashley replies with a wry smile. "Here the name is used for both genders, although its origin is male. But enough on such tedious subjects."

"Any fight against Mika is going to be very risky, regardless of when we face her. Furthermore, she's not all that well liked; should she fall, I doubt there would be many outside her own subjects who would care to avenge her, and even those likely have questionable loyalties. If expanding the crew is to be our foremost concern, however, the further north we go, the less likely the locals will be to know or care about our status with Rygar, and northerners have a tendency to be hardy sailors by necessity. It would also force Mika, if she follows, to either sail around to the east or provoke a territorial Prince or two on her way through. Either way, it will gain us time."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Yes. And the further away Mika is from her waters, the easier it is to take care of our business with her in a rather discrete manner. It would save us a bit more time before news of her disappearance would spread out should we decide to take her out. That is taking care of two problems at once. Three even."

[Sallera]

"The question lies in how much trouble we want to go to to remove the Flame as a threat, then. We've killed one of their envoys, and if Feralia's one of their informants as I suspect, then we likely won't be able to make use of their contact in Cliffscrape if we wait; news will get to her sooner rather than later. Mika is an immediate threat, but a local and relatively small one. The Flame is a large organization, and as I'm sure you've noticed, can be an exceedingly zealous one when it perceives a need for vengeance."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Hmm. Indeed," he pauses to ponder on the situation. "But, if Feralia IS the informant, then it would be to our advantage. When we do go for Mika, we could capture her and take care of her then as well, giving us more time before the Flame could find some other way to find us. And I hope enough time to think of better plans to address our situation with them. As it stands, the only thing keeping us at odds with them is harboring the Sage, and if we are to find some way to bring him back and let him decide on the matter, then I think we could go from there."

Taka takes another sip of his wine before continuing. "The thing that remains now is the matter of Regalport. You were saying you had something on your mind to deal with it earlier?" he asks Ashley.

[Sallera]

"Just a way to get more information. Solidify some theories, find the gaps I'm missing. It'll take time, as I said, but the direction we choose won't matter for that part." Ashley sighs, waving the question away; clearly they were currently in the awkward period between the point where the crew realized he always had a plan going and the point where they started trusting him enough to stop asking unnecessary questions.

"The draw of the Cliffscrape solution is the chance to get them off our trail permanently," he continues. "They have a contact there waiting for news of the matter's resolution; if we convince her it's been dealt with properly before she hears from the contact with Mika, that ought to be the end of our involvement. Don't forget that we killed Gideon; Sage's presence is not our only tie to the matter."

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Markus sits quietly at the table, content for once not to have the threat of an emment beating held over his head.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Ah, yes. I forgot that part. No matter, I have said my part. I will let the Captain decide our course," he looks and nods at Dashivi before reaching for some fruits he had been eyeing for a while and eating again. He could not help but indulge himself. It had been a while he had these kinds of food in front of him.

[Ursus the Grim]

For her part, Dashivi has mostly sat and watched the two men discuss their thoughts. She is now picking at her teeth with a pick she drew from some pocket or other.

"Well, if we go to Cliffscrape, yes, we've killed that templar. But if we get there before Mika, they won't even know Gideon's dead, much less the names and faces of each of us responsible. I'd imagine that Mika wouldn't make haste for such a tangential contact, especially if she'd have to explain how someone in her charge was killed on her ship."

She tosses the pick on the plate where it lands and rolls in a small circle.

[Sallera]

Ashley nods amiably. "Those were more or less my thoughts on the matter. They will inevitably find out that Gideon died in his quest, but if we're the first they hear from, and we paint the story the right shade, they ought to be satisfied with his posthumous success."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

He puts down his fork and nods. "So, Cliffscrape?"

[Ursus the Grim]

"Lady Relili, go and fetch those items for me, please,"
She seems to speak to noone in particular, but then returns her attention to the matter at hand. She wipes her hands and stands up, the chair scraping on the floor beneath her.

"Sounds like a plan. It will be a few days, so get yourselves situated in the meantime. I'll be busy in that time, tending to the Raven, but if you need me, my chambers are in the aftcastle. There should be enough rooms for the lot of you in the fo'c'sle. Get situated, rest up, and get ready for Cliffscrape. If all goes well, we can get a pursuer off our back and resupply. Now, my Lady will be back momentarily with your payment and the spoils of our battle. I assume you can fairly split it."

With that, she exits, and there is silence for only a moment before the old woman returns, a comically large sack dragging behind her. From it she withdraws five pouches and hands one to each person seated at the table. She then shrugs and gestures towards the sack.

"I'm afraid I can't just deposit these items on the table, nor in your laps. Its what we procured form those two men from Mika's ship."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"Thank you. We can manage ourselves. If you would just leave it there, we could sort it out for ourselves," he says as he stands up and makes her way to the woman and takes hold of the sack. "Thank you." He turns to the others. "Come, let us go and do this outside."

[Sallera]

Ashley accepts the pouch with quiet thanks, quickly sorting through its contents and depositing them in various pockets. He chuckles at the label on the vial, but takes it anyway; even if it would do nothing for him, he'd long ago learned that magical resources always came in handy eventually, regardless of their seeming uselessness.

"Before you do that, give me the paladin's blade; I assume it's in there somewhere, and I'll need it for when I meet with Alyssa. You can do as you will with the rest; I've a few other preparations to make." Taking the sword and his leave, Ashley ducks out of the mess hall, making his way to the fo'c'sle and poking through rooms in search of appropriate supplies. A length of black cloth from a pile of bedding serves to conceal the sword in appropriately funereal wrappings, and he finds the room with Tynhon's corpse as well, slipping a dagger from behind his back and slicing off a bloodstained tuft of long white fur from the mane, which he tucks inside Gideon's letter case. That ought to do it. Need just enough evidence that she takes what I say at face value, without actually giving her a look at the corpse, and this should look like it came from Gideon himself.

Picking out one of the rooms for himself, he leans the wrapped sword against the wall and tosses his bedroll in a corner, shutting the door and sitting down cross-legged. Now then... I didn't spend all that time staring at your ship out of envy, Mika. Show me what you're up to... The violet flame flickers to life in his mind again, illuminating lines and masts, sails and doorways. The doors were the most important part to remember, he found; boundaries of entry and exit that gave a location definition, separated it from its surroundings. He emphasizes them accordingly, sealing them with gleaming fire and illuminating their surroundings. He didn't expect anyone to be on deck at this hour, although it would be fortunate if they were; the ship's location was the important part. Closing his eyes, he flings his consciousness into the image, flames flickering in and out as he seeks to connect the false to the real.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Sitting on the deck while splicing a rope, Markus hums a few bars while thinking about the curious events of the day. Yawning, he eventually retires to the forecastle and strings up his hammock on any spare hooks he can find.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

With the distributing of the spoils done, Taka proceeds to the deck to a bit of room to stretch out. He had eaten quite a lot; it had been quite a while he had had that kind of food. As he arrives outside, he can't help but have the events early that night flash through his mind. It was just hours ago that he boarded this very ship, and yet so much blood has been spilt on her wooden boards. Really not much different from home.

But as goes through the events again in his mind, he notices one glaring weakness in his fighting: he got hit a lot. He had been working on his defense while wielding his daisho, but apparently it wasn't enough. And his temper may also have some cause on it as well. He draws his weapons and starts weaving them in unison, trying to synchronize their movements to allow as little interference with each other, but show as little an opening as well. He closes his eyes, trying to recall his lord's teachings and emulating them. After a few minutes, he decides he needs a partner.

*****

"Pardon my interruption, sir. If you are not occupied with anything, may I perhaps ask your assistance on something?" he asks as he stands on the doorway of Aarbos' room.

"Ah, yes lad. And no, I'm not doing anything in particular. Kinda hard to find me some sleep after all that happened," he pauses as if remembering something. "Ahh, sorry. Yes, what is it that you needed assistance, boy?"

Taka looks down, unsure of how to state his request. "Well, how should I say it. I am in need of a practice partner."

Aarbos looks at him blankly for a few seconds, increasing the embarrassment for the young man. They had just met, and they even met as opponents, and now he is asking for a practice partner in the middle of the night.

"Aha ha ha!" the older man breaks into laughter. "Is that all, lad? I thought it was something serious, the way you asked me!" He stand up smiling and picks up his weapon. "Come then, I could use some exercise. Hopefully it'll tire me to sleep."

When the two arrive at the deck, Taka draws his blades and does some practice swings as Aarbos takes his position and draws his own blade. "Alright, boy. How'd ya want to do this?"

"If you could please just attack me any way you want, I will just try and defend all of your attacks as long as I could."

"Any way, you say? Ha! I may have lost to you earlier, but I was just holding back! Guard yourself well boy! I will come at you relentlessly!"

The young man smiles in return. "As do I expect you to."

Aarbos smiles, his face renewed with vigor. Maybe this might just take some of the thoughts away. He shifts his stance to an attacking form and presses forward. "Here I come!"

The practice match starts with a downward swing from Aarbos' bastard sword which Taka deftly evaded by shifting to his right. This is then followed by a sequence of side swings going left and right followed by a thrust and a spinning chop aimed to the neck, all of which the young warrior parried off with a swipe from his wakizashi or a cross block. Taka tries to block another upward strike coming from the left but the leaves him open as Aarbos slides his blade upwards into a downward cut.

Thud!

Taka could feel the flat of Aarbos' blade swing down heavily on his left collarbone, the force bringing the young warrior down on his knee. "You're dead, boy!" A cackling Aarbos exclaims in a loud tone as he withdraws his sword and backs a few steps away.

Taka smiles back at the man, "Yes, it would appear so." He holds his left collarbone and rubs the pain away as he stands up. He immediately tries to envision what went wrong and assesses how he should have blocked that time, closing his eyes, and doing the movement he should have done. He opens his eyes and readies his blades. "Again, please."

Aarbos looks at the young man, the determination in his eyes, and he suddenly feels like looking at his younger self, to that time when he could care less of the world and just dive into whatever adventure beckons. He smiles.

"Want more, eh? Alright, here I come!" he shouts before dashing forward into another exchange of swings and thrusts.
*****

Taka lies down face first on the hammock as he decides to go to sleep. He clutches both his sides. One...two...three...five. Five times I've been hit out of eight tries. Was I really that bad at this? Good thing we've got a few more days till Cliffscrape. I could really use that time. And with this thought trailing in his mind, he is alseep.

[Sallera]

Hm, resupplying. Looks like she has a base of operations quite close... interesting. At least I know the connection will work, now. Ashley listens for a few minutes longer, trying to overhear anything of interest, but the link soon fades away, the candle flame guttering out. Rising and stretching out, he spreads out his bedroll - he'd always found them more comfortable than hammocks - and prepares for sleep.

Rief had been quite insistent on the importance of dreams; Ashley suspected it was because he couldn't dream himself, but whatever the reason, he had encouraged Ashley to develop his control, and the boy had obliged, developing a level of self-awareness that frequently allowed him to retain his lucidity, using his dreams as training grounds. Tonight's mindscape offered little but half-seen trees and shadows, the too-large full moon overhead immediately visible but illuminating nothing, but that was fine. He was not here to search through space today, but through time; a small skull appears in his hand as he perches on a rock in a melodramatic mockery of a stricken lover. Who killed you, I wonder? Whence came you upon that ship? Rief had said the knack would reveal the provenance of an object, but temporal tricks had never been Ashley's forte. A wave of his hand brings a circle of violet candles into being around him; the greatest advantage dream-practice brought was a bottomless well of power. He tosses the skull up and down idly, studying its path. The idea was to look at where it had been, he supposed, and see not what was there now, but how its current existence was a result of all that came before. Not quite the same thing.

The object itself remembers. That would have to be the essence of it. In the same way that a false image could show him the true because all spaces were linked, so too was history a confluence of forces and events that lead inevitably to the present. It wasn't so much about staring into the past, simply expanding his sense of the skull to the point where the infinite possibilities that led to its existence were narrowed down to a readable set of points. With a grin, he flings the skull a few hundred feet into the air, leaning back on the rock to watch it fly until it vanishes from sight. Tracing its path back to himself with a finger, he laughs, breathing in the flame from all dozen candles and snuffing them out to enjoy the sight of the moon. That had been easy.

The sun is barely over the horizon when Ashley wakes, ready to test the practical applications of his oneiric theorizing. Splashing cold water on his face from a vial, he wipes it off with the edge of his cloak, the enchanted material drying immediately; when he dips the vial briefly back into its pocket, its contents are transmuted to pleasantly hot tea, which he sips as he studies the small skull. He wasn't quite sure whether the thing's history would show him who it came from - there tended to be a fairly sharp divide between the living and nonliving when it came to supernatural effects - but at the least he could get information on who planted it, which was probably more important.

Lighting a single, slow-burning violet candle in his mind, he holds the skull up to its imagined light, an endless series of projected images beginning to flow around it as the flickering radiance reveals each mark and flaw. Gradually slipping into a meditative trance, he remains that way for nearly half an hour, tracing its history back as far as he is able. As soon as he finishes, he files away the information, deliberately avoiding drawing conclusions while he repeats the process with the letter. The hour is rather more respectable by the time he finally tucks both items away, seeking a more savoury breakfast than trail rations while he contemplates the import of his findings.

Ashley is manifesting Object Reading on both the small skull from the cargo hold and Tharivol's letter. Since I imagine neither object has even five previous owners, let alone fourteen, he won't bother augmenting it, but he will read as far back as he is able for each.

[Ursus the Grim]

Three days past peacefully, with the crew nursing their wounds, getting settled in and acquainted with one another, and enjoying the fine cooking of the Raven's cook. Dashivi has been mysteriously hard to find over that time, but it seems that on the second day the ship resumes its lost speed and is cutting through the waves faster than any vessel any have seen so far.

The morning of the third day, a letter is outside each cabin.
"We'll make Cliffscrape by nightfall, probably late afternoon."

Its noon of the third day, a sweltering sun beats down on the main deck. Aarbos stands on a railing, a rope tying his waist to it, as he swings his blade to and fro, attempting to acclimate himself to combat on a moving vessel. He nearly topples off the side, but quickly regains his footing. I'm getting old. It took everything I had to keep up with that boy. Years of being a rank-and-file watchman, in my comfortable home with my beautiful wife and son. I've been complacent. It didn't take much to enforce the law in port. Flash a sword to a drunk and they normally went home. But that was the power of the law, not mine. Maybe I'll reforge myself out here, return to my home the man I used to be. The Raven lurches to one side, pitching the grizzled warrior off, where he slams loudly back into the hull as the rope keeps him bound to the ship.

Griever, not far away, doesn't seem to notice, instead barking playfully at the dragonne that is flying alongside the Raven as it sails. The dog has a slight limp to the close observer, but otherwise seems to have recovered fully.

[Sallera]

Ashley perches on his favoured spot on the forecastle rail, a long bundle of black cloth at his feet, as he watches Aarbos's training and waits for the rest of the crew to appear. He's taking his reassignment surprisingly well. Not a single complaint since the wake. We shall have a crew half of turncoats at this rate, and be happier for it. Well, if anyone here understands the nature of loyalties, it is I; I'll simply have to keep better track of this crew's feelings than my last one's. It wouldn't be too hard, after all, for no one here knew what he really was - or so he believed, at least. To outside eyes, he was a man of tricks and toys, no different from the wandering artificers he'd sometimes picked up from captured ships, and that was the way he liked it. His true domain was naturally subtle in its effects, and so far he had allowed no tell-tale displays to show from his manifestations. He hadn't been entirely quiet about his knowledge back in their initial conflict, and perhaps it would only be a matter of time before they worked out that he consistently knew more than should be possible, but that was why he tended to dispense information on a need-to-know basis. Speaking of which...

Hopping off the rail, he strolls down to the main deck and waits for Aarbos to climb back aboard. "A question, if you will. Speaking as someone who served with him, how would you describe Sergeant Tharivol's relationship to his inferiors - and superiors, if you know? What would you guess his reaction to this mess to be?"

[Ursus the Grim]

With a groan, Aarbos hauls himself over the rail and lands soundly on his back, where he squints upwards as Ashley approaches. He pushes himself into a sitting position before he answers.

"Aye, the Sergeant's a good man to work under. I can't say that there are no corrupt men working for the law, but Tharivol's one of them. Pretty fair to the lot of us, but I hear he catches a lot of trouble from the higher ups for not having all the answers all the time. Right now I would think he's aching to get out and chase down the Raven himself, but he's probably tied up by the red tape and bureaucrats. Why do you ask, lad?"

[Sallera]

"Rumours on the wind," Ashley replies, reaching up a hand to catch the passing air and making a show of examining it. "And this one suggests an unfortunate lack of gratitude. But in the right circumstances, that, too, can be informative, and even helpful..."

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Darkness. A seemingly endless expanse. A small flicker of flame, like a candle. He focuses on it, for how long he does not know, nor does he care. In this place, there is no concept of time. He breathes slowly. In. Out. Very slowly.

He opens his eyes. The sight of wooden boards which have become familiar to him over these couple of days greet him. He becomes more aware of his surroundings; a small cubical room with nothing much inside, the door in front of him, the hammock he uses for sleeping to his right, a small pile of rope and other supplies to his left, and the familiar feel of the wooden floorboards underneath him. He is sitting in agura position on the floor, with his weapons lying on his lap.

He stands up, gathering his weapons and inserting them in his obi. He bends down to pick up his shirt and armor, which he placed neatly folded beside where he sat, and dons them, before picking up the rest of his gear and making his way out of the room and out to the deck.

The sun is already at its peak, beating down mercilessly, and the salty wind makes the heat even less bearable. But Taka has grown accustomed to this, having spent a few weeks on the Gray Mist before immediately boarding the Raven. I have been on land for but a few minutes this past few weeks, he thinks to himself.

He notices Aarbos and Ashley having a conversation off to one side. Apparently, this is Ashley interrogating Aarbos; he came to have this impression that this man rarely talked for the sake of talking, hence his conjecture. He then notices Griever barking at something above, which upon following this direction appears to be the dragonne flying in circles above the Raven.

Finding nothing to do, he goes up the stairs of the forecastle and leans on the railings as he surveys the seas. It had been three days since Regalport, and the letter said they will be arriving at their destination by sundown. Foreign to these parts of the world, Taka scans the horizon, hoping to familiarize himself as much as he could.

Can I has a description of what Taka's seeing? Also, spot for anything interesting out there.

Spot: [roll0]

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Markus spends most of the time in the rigging, helping out in seamanship as best he can. From above, he often watches Taka drill and spar. Coming down, he cheers at the man. Retrieving his glaive from where he lashed it near the mast, he approaches.

Fancy a duel? No lethal cuts, though...I'm too pretty to get scars. Markus laughs.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young man wheels and looks at Markus, then smiles. "Yes, I wanted to test my skills against you. You seemed very good with your blade. Let us see how I measure up. Onegaishimasu, master Markus," he says with a bow.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Markus grins. What terms? Markus starts tapping his foot in a regular beat, the magic starting to swirl around him like the wind through the sails.

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

"I do not have any preference. I fight only with my blades, but I noticed you have some fancy tricks with you. I would not mind if you used them. I could definitely use the experience," he replies.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Markus retreats from the warrior, shuffle tapping his feet at he moves. With a shout, he begins to sing a syncopated jig about a virtuous lass and her LONG list of inappropriate suitors.

Turning about, he continues the song while holding the glaive above his head with both hands, the flat of the blade hovering protectively in front of him.

A MAP FOR GREAT JUSTICE!
http://i44.tinypic.com/2i9rwvt.png

Please refer to coordinates as they are labled across the top and left side. Also, in case you missed it, striking for subdual only, please...don't want any scars!

[roll0]

EDIT: At least I got the bad roll out of the way so the butt kickery can begin!

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

The young warrior draws his blades and gives a practice swing or two before facing his opponent. He inhales a deep one, and exhaled slowly, focusing his mind his surroundings and on Markus, quickly assessing the best course of action.

When he could not see anything through the chanting, he decides to slowly close in the gap, walking calmly, trying to circle in but maintaining a defensive posture. He knows Markus is a capable fighter, and he cannot afford to jump in recklessly.

Move to O10 and Total Defense.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Hesitance not being in Markus' dictionary, the bard shifts the rhythm from a syncopated beat to something a bit more upbeat, all the while shifting his feet rapidly. Skipping lightly across the deck of the ship, he plants the butt end of the glaive into the wood, he vaults head over hands, tucking mid leap and bringing the glaive spinning downward on the head of the older warrior. Barely landing, the blond bard vanishes in a bright flash of light, reappearing out of the other combatant's reach.


Charge to Q9 and attack.
[roll0] [roll1] Subdual.

Dimension Hop back to S10.


Map
http://i42.tinypic.com/2rzq6j8.jpg

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

He follows the young man's movements, trying to find his rhythm. He readies himself as the bard makes his move. He remembers the vaulting tactic being employed by his sparring partner from the last time and brings up his blades in a cross block just in time.

Taka brings down one of his blades to start his counterattack, but is surprised as Markus suddenly disappeared in a flash. He does not lose focus; he remembers this as well. He looks around to where the blond warrior would appear, and quickly closes the distance between them as Taka found his target. Before he could close in, Markus manages to disarm one of his weapons, but Taka is not deterred and continues to move in, his other blade cutting low.

Move to R10.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] Subdual.

[Keld Denar]

Markus

Stepping back in the give and take of the dance, Markus again brings his glaive to bear.


5' step back to T10, then use Emerald Razor.
[roll0] [roll=Dmg]1d10+8/roll] subdual.


Map
http://i39.tinypic.com/2nkbuv.jpg

[GuyFawkes]

Taka

Taka feels the damage from the blow and steps back to pick up his dropped sword and assumes another defensive position.

5-foot step back to Q10 and pick up the sword, then Total Defense.